ALWAYS AND FOREVER
by I love music
Summary: COMPLETE STORY After the shipwreck wasn't the first time that Kane and Kirsty disovered they were soulmates. There was another time. A more simple time...


In case anyone was wondering, I haven't added to this fic. I just took out the last paragraph of Chapter 11 (because Kane's Auntie Rose turning out to be his Mum didn't fit in with the rest of the story) and somehow stuffed up all the chapters :o( so I thought it was best to delete and re-post.

I might add a new chapter to this fic some time tho, I don't know... :o)

**ALWAYS AND FOREVER**

_After the shipwreck wasn't the first time Kane and Kirsty discovered they were soulmates. There was another time. A more simple time..._

**CHAPTER 1**

Dani closed the book reluctantly. Kirsty and Jade loved Peter Pan and she loved reading to them. The twins were sweet. They'd started school this term and thought they were all grown up now. She'd held their hands right up to the classroom door, giving big sister advice all the way.

"Miss Terry is real nice but you must do what you're told..."

Jade's lower lip quivered but Kirsty couldn't wait and had almost dragged them inside. That was Kirsty for you, always impatient. Like now, she was jumping up and down on the bed, chanting. "Yay! Holidays tomorrow, holidays tomorrow! _Jade-yyy!"_

Jade giggled but stayed where she was, cuddling her favourite doll.

"Kirsty," Shelley Sutherland said sternly, but her eyes were laughing so Kirsty dared to jump three times more before bouncing herself into bed.

"Come on, kids, settle down now," Rhys said. laughing.

"The babies always get too excited," Dani said loftily, getting up off the bed to head for her own room, unaware of her parents sharing an amused glance.

Kirsty hugged herself in delight. She loved these moments, when Dani would read to them all before Mum and Dad kissed them goodnight. It felt so safe, so warm. The only snag was you were expected to go asleep at the end of it!

But Kirsty knew she would never, ever sleep tonight. Gran and Grandad were calling early tomorrow to take the three girls on a caravan holiday to a place called Summer Bay. The bedroom curtains were open and fluttering in the summer breeze and she looked happily at the stars shining brightly over the city, just as they'd always shone ever since she could remember. Summer Bay was going to be magic!

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"_Jeeezzz!" _Scott Phillips said.

He sounded scared. He was nearly four years older than Kane and hardly ever scared, but Dad was in one of his drunken rages. Downstairs, Mum was screaming something, they couldn't tell what, but there was a lot of cursing. Dad gave a roar of anger and then came the inevitable sound of crashing crockery. Kane often marvelled that they had any plates or cups left at all.

"What we gonna do?" he looked across at his brother, their faces pale in the bright moonlight, the single curtain nailed to the window doing little to keep out the light.

"Whaddya mean - _we?"_

Kane felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. Why did Scotty always have to do this? They'd be mates till they got caught, then Scott suddenly acted like he hated him. Like tonight.

Ma had packed them off to bed earlier than usual because she reckoned she had one of her headaches. Yeh, like they hadn't seen the bottle or smelled the drink on her breath! Anyways, they'd had a beaut tim, running all round upstairs, jumping on and off beds and furniture, knowing she'd be too drunk to care. But Dad arrived home in the middle of it all and they'd quickly got in their beds, but it was too late.

Dad's footsteps were already thundering on the stairs. Kane tried to feign sleep, but his own breath betrayed him, growing faster, deeper, louder.

"Whinger!" Scott hissed.

Yeh, but even Scotty blanched when Richie Phillips crashed open the bedroom door.

"Can't you /-/-/- kids _ever_ keep /-/-/- quiet?"

Scott sat up in bed. "I TOLD him, Dad. I TOLD him not to jump on the beds, but he wouldn't listen!"

Why did Dad always believe Scotty? Richie roughly grabbed Kane's arm, dragging him from the bed. "If you wanna act like an animal you can sleep outside like a /-/-/- animal!"

"Dad - no! I don't wanna!" But Kane was wasting his time arguing .

The door banged shut. The heavy bolts slid in their latches and the key turned. Kane always, always hoped that Dad would change his mind at the last minute or Mum would suddenly protest, but it never ever happened. He slid down against the hard brick wall. The sea breeze had turned the night cold and he shivered in thin pyjamas.

A thousand stars, sparkling and glistening, dotted the dark sky. They must have shone down like this on lonely kids forever. Tears blurred his vision and he began a game of joining them into pictures.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Nobody stayed still for a minute. Kirsty was the worst, as always. She ran in and out of the kitchen inbetween mouthfuls of toast and cereal and spilled orange juice all over the breakfast table because she suddenly felt she had to jump up and show Dani exactly how she scored the goal when she'd joined in the boys' game at recess.

"Ewww, Kirsty always wants to be with boring boys," said Jade, wrinkling her nose.

Dani smiled at her baby sisters and sighed patiently at Mum when the orange juice was knocked over.

"Kirsty, for goodness' sake, sweetie, sit still!" Shelley said, mopping up the spillage. "And, Rhys, you're almost as bad as the kids!"

"Can't help it, I'm going to miss my three favourite girls," Rhys said, winking at Dani, gently rapping Kirsty's head and flicking Jade's hair. "Who's going to drive me insane when you lot aren't here?"

He kept checking the window to see if there was any sign of his Mum and Dad yet, not because he was in a hurry for the kids to go, but because he was choked up at the idea of them going on their very first holiday without him and Shelley. It was the same when they'd started school. Shelley had coped far better than Rhys, who'd fretted about Dani and, this year, the twins, all day long.

"Peter Pan!" Jade announced abruptly, her hand shooting to her mouth.

"I'll go get it!" Kirsty was up like a shot. Dani had promised to still read them their favourite story on holiday but nobody had thought to pack the book!

She tripped over the chair in her rush and fell, laughing, into Dad's arms.

"KIRSTY!" Everybody yelled, laughing. "SIT STILL!"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kane crept round the back, his heart beating fast, the grass cold and damp underneath his bare feet. There was silence inside the house. He stood on tiptoe to peer inside the grimy kitchen window. Nobody around. And the window was open at the top. Oh, neat, this could even mean breakfast!

He carefully positioned an old empty wooden crate that had been nearly a quarter full of oranges the day he and Scotty robbed it from outside the grocers. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the bottom sash upwards, and, with a superhuman effort that almost pulled his arms from their sockets, fell inside - and knocked over the kitchen stool below the window. He'd jumped too quickly and pain was shooting through his ankle, but worse, far worse, was the loud clattering of the metal stool. Dad would kill him.

**CHAPTER 2**

"Who said you could come in?" Richie Phillips, with his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted, looked the picture of evil after last night's drinking binge,. He was in no mood for brats.

"Daddy, no..." Kane backed away as Richie raised a hand and towered over him.

Normally, he would have taken his chances and dodged round his father - sometimes Dad ran after him, sometimes he couldn't be bothered - but his ankle hurt real bad.

"Snivelling little cur!" Richie impatiently pushed his small son to one side and went to find himself some painkillers. His head was banging and his mouth tasted like sawdust.

Kane threw his hands back to catch his fall and landed awkwardly. He couldn't get up. His ankle throbbed with pain and now his wrists wouldn't take his weight to lever himself off the floor. They weren't hurting as bad as his ankle though so he figured they might be okay after he'd rested them a while. He was pretty much expert on falls so knew about these things.

It was probably smarter anyways to stay where he was, until Dad fell asleep or went out. Or until Scotty came down for breakfast and maybe happened to be in a good mood, though Scotty had a habit of disappearing when Dad had been drinking. It was no use shouting for Mum, no use shouting for anyone. This wasn't kids' TV where you got rescued by cops or Superman or someone passing by. This was real life and no-one ever came.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_"Wowww!" _Kirsty stared in awe at the curving expanse of the sparkling blue sea. Boats, surfers, water skiiers, gulls dipping the waves...Summer Bay teemed with action and excitement!

Jade's eyes widened but she was too breathless to speak. She was the only one of the three who'd brought a doll, not Barbie but her favourite real-looking baby one (cute, Dani had said, gross Kirsty had said, but they'd both been laughing) and she rested her chin contentedly on the doll's head as the car window gave tantalising glimpses of a glittering, pretty, shiny world.

Dani, sitting inbetween the twins, stretched as far forward her seat belt would allow. For some time now she'd been fascinated by the rolling green countryside, so unlike the noisy, crowded city they were used to.

"Gran! Grandad! It's like a story! It's like we're three princesses coming home!"

Mary Sutherland looked round at her three excited little granddaughters, smiling and Bill Sutherland chuckled as he took the road that would lead them down to the caravan park.

"Princesses, huh? Well, I always suspected as much!"

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kane spent the afternoon roaming round the caravan park. Pretending he was a kid on holiday was one of his favourite games. Sometimes he made up stories about a caravan family - a Mum who never got angry, a Dad who never got drunk, a kid bro who hero-  
worshipped him and a baby bro who got up to all kinds and made them all laugh. Today in the game he imagined he was going for the ice-creams and Jordan, his kid bro - he'd given them all names - changed his mind again about what flavour he wanted so they...

He paused to stare curiously at a new group of people. Judging by the way the oldies were studying the tourist map they were recent arrivals.

The three girls with them each carried a Sleeping Beauty wand - he'd seen them for sale in the site shop, when he'd been browsing among the pocket money toys looking for something to rob, but didn't think anyone was sooky enough to buy them - and two of them, running on ahead, were brandishing their wands like they really thought they were magic, but the third, the one who caught his attention, was trailing hers behind like she was embarrassed.

She looked up suddenly and saw Kane. "Hey," she said, smiling. The smile lit up her face.

He thought she was talking to somebody else. Kids didn't generally smile and say hey to him, not even at school. At school they said stuff like 'he's Scotty Phillips' brother' and kept well away unless he made them talk with his fists.

The girl giggled as Kane looked round. "There's nobody else here, stupid!"

"Kirsty, sweetheart, don't be rude." Mary Sutherland was always a little shocked by Kirsty's directness. Dani and Jade were very polite little girls, but Kirsty had lived by her own set of rules ever since she'd learnt to walk and talk.

So she was called Kirsty. He'd never had anything to do with girls, reckoned they were jerks, but she was different. Like she was never afraid. Like she wouldn't care about him being Scotty Phillips' brother. It was strange, someone seeing him as himself.. Even his own Mum, when she got angry with him, spat out 'Richie Phillips' son!' before she slapped him like you'd slap some disgusting insect.

"I'm Kirsty Sutherland. What's your name?"

"Kane." He grinned back at her. Normally he wouldn't have given the time of day to a girl, especially not one a couple of years younger, but he couldn't help liking Kirsty.

The other two kids ran back then, the youngest timid, the eldest frowning from Kirsty to Kane as if trying to make up her mind about him.

"Jade - Dani - this is my friend Kane! He's going to hang out with us - will you?" Kirsty suddenly seemed to realise she was taking a lot for granted.

"Maybe he can tomorrow, angel," Mary said, glancing at her watch. Dusk was settling and the journey down from the city had been long. They'd had a late lunch on arrival, unpacked almost everything and spent a pleasant couple of hours in the kiddies' playground, but all three girls got cranky if they didn't get enough sleep. "Kane's Mummy will worry if he's out late. Where's your caravan, Kane?"

"Down there." Kane pointed vaguely in the direction of some distant caravans.

She was crazy if she thought Mum was worried. Okay, Mum'd eventually found him in the kitchen and okay it had been one of her good days. She'd only sworn at him twice before soaking a large cotton handkerchief and tying it round his swollen ankle, and she'd even made them both tea and toast. But that faraway look was always in her eyes and he was constantly on the alert because things could change any second. And they had.

"You'd better get out from under my feet!" she'd said, as if suddenly aware of his presence, aiming a blow, but missing because he was too quick.

"It's a fair way away and you're a tad young to be out on your own at night," Bill said, concerned. "I'll walk you back."

"No, no! It's okay, here's my bro!"

Kane was surprised to see Scott at the opposite end of the path, but glad for once that his height and build made Scott look older and more responsible. But it was worrying that Scotty was there at all. Even more worrying that he was grinning triumphantly.

Kane turned quickly to Kirsty, he didn't want her, didn't want any of these people but especially not Kirsty, to get hurt, and anyone who tangled with Scott Phillips got hurt sooner or later. "See ya tomorrow, guys? What's your caravan number?"

"One-seven-nine." Dani provided the answer when Kirsty looked blank. She had memorised the number, ready to drill into her baby sisters in case they got lost, and decided she approved enough of Kirsty's new friend to tell him.

"Call tomorrow, Kane?" Kirsty said.

She watched as he half ran, half hobbled away, looking funny with a large chequered hanky fluttering round his ankle. Jade and Dani were great but they were too girly girly and she preferred boys, but why did she like this boy with the bright blue eyes so much?

"One-seven-nine, one-seven-nine." Kane was muttering it under his breath to remember, though he stopped within hearing distance of Scotty.

"Look," Scott said. He was holding a fistful of crisp ten dollar notes.

**CHAPTER 3**

"Where'd ya get it?" Kane was half stoked, half terrified at the amount of money Scott had in his hand.

Scott smiled coolly. Kane was always hanging round the caravan park and had been easy enough to find. Stage two of the plan.

"I ask the questions, not you." He looked swiftly round to make sure no one was watching then caught his little brother in a headlock. "Who were those guys you were with?"

"Nobody. They were asking the way."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would ya?" Scott pressed harder.

"No, no, I swear!" Usually he wouldn't have dared but there was something about that kid called Kirsty.

To his amazement, Scott stuffed all the notes in Kane's pocket before letting him go.

"Whatcha doin'?" He felt a thrilling rush of adrenaline at the idea of carrying so much cash.

"Lose any of that and you're dead," Scott said in chilling tones.

"Can I keep it?"

"Jeez, did they drop you on ya /-/-/-/ head the day you was born? We're gonna go the diner and order whatever we like!"

Kane blinked. Was Scotty having a lend of him? Apart from a pie that he'd lifted from the shelves of the caravan site shop and eaten cold, he hadn't had anything to eat since the toast and he was starving.

"C'mon, drongo!" Scott slapped Kane across the head to show he meant business.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The twins had bunk beds. Dani had her own room like at home but she envied them the bunk beds. She watched Kirsty hanging by her arms from the top bunk and couldn't admit to the babies that she was dying to have a go herself.

Kirsty had tired of lying on her stomach and swinging down the top half of her body, her long hair cascading over her face, yelling _"G'day, Jade!"_

Now she was trying to swing herself on to Jade's bed and Jade was shouting encouragement, reaching to catch hold of her legs.

"You'll fall," Dani warned. She could hear Gran clattering about doing the supper dishes and felt she ought to be the grown-up with Gran busy and Grandad gone to the phones.

"Won't, won't, I can fly like Peter Pan!"

"H'mmph, if Peter Pan makes you think you can fly, p'raps I'd better read Cinderella next time!"

"Oh, YES, that as well!" Jade cried eagerly, forgetting to help her twin.

Kirsty tumbled to the floor, banging her knee against the small bedside locker.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she danced round the cramped room, laughing at herself.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"So how are my girls?" Rhys asked.

The house was so quiet without them. He and Shelley had cooked themselves a candlelit dinner and they'd shared a bottle of wine and watched a romantic movie together. But they'd missed the constant interruptions, some little voice calling down for a drink or one of the kids waking from a nightmare or a fight breaking out in the twins' room.

As previously agreed, Bill and Mary Sutherland had gone to the caravan phones on arrival for Dani, Kirsty and Jade to say a brief hi to their Mum and Dad, but Bill had promised his son and daughter-in-law a more detailed update later.

He brushed away a suicidal moth that was diving at the light above the pay phone and smiled broadly, picturing Rhys' face.

"Fine, Rhys, just fine. Little Kirsty has a boyfriend."

_"Whaaat?" _Rhys laughed in the middle of a sip of coffee and almost choked. "No, I don't think so, Dad! Kirsty has always made friends with the boys."

"This little guy is different. Kyle, Kye, some name like that. They even exchanged addresses - well, caravan addresses anyway. Kirsty was asking her Gran if she thought he'd turn up tomorrow. They have a...uh...date, you see."

Rhys roared with laughter and Shelley mouthed 'What, what?', indicating it was her turn on the phone. She was dying to know what was so funny.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Alf Stewart, the owner of the popular Bayside Diner, frowned at the two noisy Phillips kids sitting in the corner. The youngest had fronted up, pulled a ten dollar note from his pocket and ordered double burgers, fries and large cokes.

"Where'd you get that?" Alf asked suspiciously.

"Late birthday prezzy," Scott Phillips answered sarcastically.

"Fair dinkum?" Kane looked round at him hopefully. He'd already had his birthday this year but, as usual, there hadn't been any prezzies or cards and he still hadn't figured out if Scotty had meant for him to keep the money or not. His brother's hefty tread crushed his foot so he didn't say any more.

"See, it's like this, Mr Stewart." Scott leaned lazily on the counter. "We got the money so you take our orders. Like my Dad'd say, piece of pi..."

"I heard yer, young fella," Alf snapped.

Scott smirked. He knew the diner was one of the businesses Dad collected protection money from. Alf wouldn't have paid but his wife, Ailsa, was worried about their small son. Duncan had just started school. She wouldn't have put it past Richie Phillips to tell Kane to bash him. The wild little savage would have enjoyed it too, Ailsa said, he was known for being too free with his fists.

Alf's blood boiled as he watched the Kane and Scott deliberately knocking some fries to the floor, knowing full well Richie would have his revenge if Alf intervened. When would the Phillips kids get their comeuppance? The answer came sooner than he anticipated.

PC Elaine Harris, new to the force, couldn't help smiling across at Scott and Kane. She had a soft spot for kids. It didn't seem right that they'd been looking for them despite what Mrs Thomas, the elderly owner of the caravan shop, had said.

Apparently the light-fingered Phillips boys were always in and out the shop because it was an easy target especially since her husband had died and she was running the place on her own. Betty Thomas had noticed the money missing from the cash register when she'd closed up and was convinced the Phillips kids were responsible, but Elaine didn't think so..

Her colleague Matt Daley had been many years in the police and was more cynical.

"So we've found them at last! Scott and Kane Phillips - master crims in the making."

"Come on, they're just kids," Elaine objected.

Matt sighed. "Those two've _never _been just kids!"

"Cops!" Kane hissed nervously. He didn't like the way they were looking over and he still didn't know how Scotty had come by his fortune.

"Shut it, dork," Scott said impatiently. "We just walk outta here real cool."

Kane jumped down off the chair to follow Scott. That was his second mistake. The first had been to not to make sure the money was deep enough in his pocket. Elaine watched in amazement as a large wad of notes fell to the floor.

Matt smiled grimly. "G'day, Scott! Funny how I heard the caravan shop got robbed today and how you two have all this cash..."

**CHAPTER 4**

PC Elaine Harris felt sorry for the little guy. He was far too young to be charged but he'd been given a severer ticking off at the station and he looked scared.

"Look, it'll be okay," she said as the police car swept into the Phillips drive. "As long as you don't do anything like this again you won't be in any more trouble."

"Yeh," Kane said patiently.

The lecture at the cop shop had been a breeze. He had more worrying things on his mind. He'd got the message alright from Scott's glares - dob me in and you're dead, mate, not as in nearly dead or half dead but dead-in-the-ground-forever-dead. Scott had told the cops Kane took the money and he didn't know a thing about it, but he wasn't off the hook yet with Scotty. And Dad would likely bash them, not for the robbery, but for getting caught. Kane was in big, big trouble. He almost pitied the cop's innocence.

Elaine looked curiously at Kane and Scott's home. It was an old detached building set in large grounds but similar houses at either side were empty and derelict and the words 'faded glory' sprang suddenly to her mind.

The garden was a wilderness of overgrown grass and weeds. Paint was peeling from the front door and none of the curtains matched. From the side of the house she could make out what looked like a burnt out shed, a dumped wooden crate, broken bricks that had tumbled down from some decaying garden wall and an overflowing garbo bag. She knew this was a poor neighbourhood with a shifting population but no other house looked as bleak as the Phillips' did.

By startling contrast, the inside of the family home, even with its mismatched furniture, was unexpectedly clean - even the pile of old clothes on the battered old couch by the side of the stairs seemed to have been placed there with exceptional care.

It was a shock too to meet the boys' father. Her colleague Matt had warned Elaine he was an ex-crim and she'd somehow expected a fat, balding, scruffy bloke, but Richard Augustus Phillips was a tall, slim, handsome man with intense brown eyes.

"Sorry about all this." When he wasn't drunk, Richie could switch on the charm whenever he wanted and when he smiled at Elaine all she saw was a devoted Dad doing his best to bring up two ungrateful kids who preferred to run wild.

Richie's own kids weren't fooled. Kane looked anxiously round when the cops left. He was right. Dad's face had changed and he was no longer smiling. And where the hell was Mum? Dad had told the cops she was crook but that could have meant anything. Sometimes she disappeared for a couple of days without telling anyone when or where she was going. Sometimes, after she and Dad had a blue and even though she gave as good as she got, she just sat staring in her room for hours without seeming to see or hear. But now and again she was what Scotty called 'half a fruitcake instead of a whole one' and he was hoping now would be one of those times.

"How many times have I told you two I don't like /-/-/-/- cops sniffing round?" Richie was furious. He often had hot money or drugs or stolen property stashed in the house and his kids had been prepared to ruin everything for a lousy three hundred dollars.

"Wasn't my fault," Scotty protesed. "I had to give it to him to mind cos I got a police record. How was I to know the stupid drongo was gonna stuff up and drop it?"

"You - bed - now!" Richie barely looked at his youngest son.

Kane ran out the room and up the stairs, hardly able to believe his luck, pausing only to check out his parents' room for Mum. Empty. And Dad was yelling louder. Jeez, it was gonna be a rough night!

He scrambled quickly into bed and pulled the duvet over his head. when he heard Scott coming up. Scott pulled it back. He was holding his jaw and the blood was dripping through his fingers, and he was smarting, not just from the punch or the loss of the cash, but because by his reckoning Kane stuffed up so Kane, not Scott, should've been the one to cop it.

"I'm gonna get you for this," he said, giving his little brother an icy stare. "An' I'm savin' it cos when I get ya it's gonna be real good. You hear me? Real good."

Scotty was like Dad. It was wiser not to answer, not to breathe, when they threatened cos that only made it ten times worse. Kane waited till Scotty had gone to wash off the blood before he let out a breath. One-seven-nine, he thought. That kid Kirsty with the magic smile was staying in one-seven-nine. Thinking of Kirsty was the only thing getting him through this.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I'm sorry, mate, I need for your Mum or Dad to be here to say it's okay." Bill Sutherland couldn't help yawning. He was never fully awake until after his first cuppa and it seemed like the sun had barely risen.

"Yeh, yeh, they said I could," Kane said desperately. As if he'd even ask them!

Kirsty, still in her pyjamas, peeped inquisitively round the caravan door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She smiled broadly when she saw Kane. "Cool, you're coming with us! We're going on a boat!"

"Kirsty, we can't take Kyle unless his Mummy or Daddy say we can," Bill explained.

"Kane, Grandad. His name's Kane." Little Kirsty's face was like thunder. She hated people to get names wrong. It was like you didn't matter if someone got your name wrong and she sensed this little boy had never mattered very much to anyone.

"Sorry, pet, I need for Kane's parents to say if it's okay he can come with us," Bill amended, ruffling her already tousled hair.

Kane could have cried. As soon as he'd woken up he'd come straight down to the caravan park to see Kirsty. And they were going on a boat! It had always been his dream to go on a boat, but it looked like he'd never get the chance. And then he had an amazing stroke of good luck!

"That's my Mum," he lied, waving. He raised his voice and hoped this would work. "I'm gonna be all day with Kirsty's family!"

Suzy Palmer waved back. It was the third time she'd stayed at Summer Bay Caravan Park. She knew Kane vaguely and assumed his family came on holiday the same times as she did.

"We're doing the boat trip and all round Yabbie Creek so we'll bring him back around seven, if that's okay," Bill said helpfully.

"Right," Suzy said, baffled, but too busy with her baby son to ask Bill why he felt he needed to tell her. Jamie hadn't settled all night and she'd taken him for an early morning stroll but he was still crying and she lifted him from his buggy. "You have a good time, Kane."

"Okay!" Kane ran quickly up the caravan steps before anyone changed their mind or realised Mrs Palmer wasn't his Mum.

"We're just having breakfast, if you'd like some," Mary Sutherland smiled, busy dishing up scrambled eggs and grilled bacon.

"YEH!" Kane said, staring in amazement at the amount of toys strewn over the caravan, mostly girl toys, but hey so many...

_"Pleeease,_" Dani corrected, but she couldn't have been too mad because she was buttering toast for him and the twins while singing snatches of some kids song.

Bill Sutherland talked to him about footie and Jade was still shy but she did whisper she wanted a baby brother like Kane had.

"You'll have to see your Mum and Dad about that, Jade!" Bill laughed.

Kane grinned happily at Kirsty, who'd shoved up to make room beside her on the curved caravan seat surrounding the crowded table. This had to be the best day of his life!

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Diane Phillips clicked the seat belt into place. She'd spent the night at a comfortable little hotel not far from the airport to be ready for her early morning flight and she was feeling very relaxed. It had all gone smoothly. Richie would get one hell of a shock when he finally found the note!

Her passport was bang up to date and she'd been saving welfare money and dipping into Richie's funds for some time now. She'd been very, very careful so her husband hadn't got suspicious, even her spring cleaning had been a smokescreen and the chance to search through wardrobes and dressers for things to pack. She deserved a break from two whining kids and this time it would be for much longer than the normal day or two in a cheap boarding house. She didn't know if she'd ever go back. She settled back in her seat. The plane soared noisily towards the sky and was swallowed into the clouds.

**CHAPTER 5**

The Sutherlands planned to catch the sightseeing cruise at Yabbie Creek because it did a longer trip than Summer Bay's which they could do later in the week, so they sailed on the fast ferry, Kane and Kirsty tearing round, trying to take everything in at once.

"Careful!" Mary Sutherland warned yet again, her heart in her mouth. Kane was every bit as bad as Kirsty for running and climbing and wanting to do everything faster and higher and Mary kept expecting one or both of them to slip any minute.

"It's okay, I'll look after her," Kane said importantly, placing a hand on Kirsty's shoulder to prevent her leaning too near the edge.

"Mate, you're not even old enough to look after yourself!" Bill laughed.

"Kindred spirits!" Mary joked to her husband, amused by Kane's chivalry. For once their wild little granddaughter hadn't objected to being fussed over.

"What's kindred spirits?" Kirsty whispered loudly to Kane. Her first instinct had been to shake his hand off and she would have done with anyone else, even Grandad, because, like Kane, she wanted always to be free - but for some reason she hadn't. It was nice when Kane wanted to protect her.

"Something you drink," he replied, worried Kirsty's Gran and Grandad were going to start drinking . People changed when they drank. Started yelling, hitting, throwing things. Kirsty might get hurt.

"No, no, it's not!" Dani argued, for once not wearing her music headphones and overhearing. "It's a kind of ghost!"

"Nah, that's just spirits - they're ghosts," Kane said knowledgeably. "Kindred spirits is in a bottle."

"Ghosts! Don't talk about ghosts!" Jade shuddered, hugging her doll tight. "I don't like ghosts!"

"Okay, talk about what we wanna be when we grow up," Kane said, grinning down at her. They all, even Kirsty, felt like Jade was much, much younger. "I'm gonna work on a ship and take people all round the world."

"Will you be a pirate?" Kirsty asked enthusiastically.

Kane laughed. "I don't think the passengers would like that!"

Her face fell. "There are pirates in Peter Pan."

"Well, I might be for a bit," he said, not wanting to disappoint her and the idea growing on him. "You know, after brekkie but not after lunch or somethin' 'cos I wouldn't wanna scare the passengers too much."

Kirsty's grandparents were wiping their eyes but they were laughing too so it must have been the wind from the sea making them cry. Kane leaned on the safety-covered rails with Kirsty to watch the white ferry foams rolling and crashing and joining together in the water, dreaming of sailing his own ship one day, to know this freedom of the sea forever. He just hoped Kirsty's Gran and Grandad weren't going to start drinking kindred spirits when they got to Yabbie Creek.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Scott and his mates preferred hanging out in the city but they'd become familiar faces to security in the shopping malls so they were lying low, checking out the action in sleepy Summer Bay - which wasn't much, as usual.

They strolled down to the caravan park because it would be full of geeks and good for a laugh this time of year with the schools being closed for half-term. For once though there was actually something happening!

"Fire!" Lew announced unnecessarily.

Scotty and Paul could hear the sirens and smell the burning for themselves, and if that hadn't been enough the clouds of black smoke and thick heat carried by the air would pretty much have given the game away.

"Jeez, it'll be awesome!" Paul predicted.

They weren't to be disappointed. It was the shop. Or what was left of the shop.

Flakes of black soot cascaded down from a red-tinged sky and back into the orange-yellow flames while firefighters raced around, shooting powerful jets of water into the inferno while a crowd of onlookers watched..

"If looks could kill you'd be dead, mate!" Lew laughed suddenly.

Scotty looked to where he indicated. Old Mrs Thomas, the owner of the shop, was staring at him, her wispy grey hair blowing in the breeze and the firelight glowing red on her face.

Scott smiled slowly as the realisation dawned. Mrs Thomas knew who was behind this fire alright - but she was too terrified to breathe a word of her suspicions to anyone. Scotty never wanted so much to grow up to be like his Dad as he did at that moment.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The news of the fire distracted Bill Sutherland and he didn't wait till Kane had gone inside Suzy Palmer's caravan as he'd intended. He was worried the kids could have been there when the fire broke out but he didn't want to worry Rhys or Shelley or spoil the girls' holiday by going home early, yet it didn't seem right, not telling them either.

"I'll be okay now," Kane said.

"I'll wait till you've knocked."

"Um...don't wanna wake Jamie."

Bill gave him a look. Little Jamie was screaming the place down.

"It's just...it's like I'm a baby if you wait with me. My older brother laughs at me for being a baby."

That struck a chord with Bill alright. He'd been the youngest of four brothers. "Okay, mate, you win. I won't hang around."

Kane waited until he'd turned the corner, then he ran back down the caravan steps and out of the brightly lit caravan park. The rain hid the stars and turned the evening sky inky black, and normally the dark scared him - it had done ever since Dad locked him in the cupboard under the stairs for smashing the window playing footie - but tonight felt different.

Kirsty and him had talked forever. Stupid stuff, stuff they'd never told anyone else, like how he reckoned the rain here floated out to the oceans and made you always remember Summer Bay, and how he sometimes sat alone for hours down on the wharf just watching the ships come and go. Kirsty said one day she was going to win a gold medal swimming for Australia and what she loved most in the whole wide world, not counting people or animals, was a cute tiny toy dog that she'd found one day, and she tucked Boot into the corner of her pillowslip each night, even on holiday, and nobody, not even Jade, knew.

They hadn't been able to stop talking, not even when Dani did big exaggerated yawns and Jade had a little cry because she thought Kirsty wasn't ever going to be her twin any more. He was sure if he could always talk to Kirsty he'd never be scared again.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Richie _

_Needed to clear my head and I decided going on holiday was probably the best way to do that. I'm gone for at least two weeks. Don't bother trying to figure out where I am. I'm not as stupid as you think and I've got rid of all the paperwork._

_Diane_

Richie re-read the note, then furiously cracked open another tinnie and took a long gulp of beer. He and Diane had always both loved and hated one another. That had been fine until the kids came along. One whinging kid had been bad enough, but then Kane was born and right from the first Diane had resented him, said it tied her down forever now.

Thinking of the kids made him angrier. Anyone who dobbed in a Phillips would cop it sweet and he'd had to call in a few favours to arrange for the shop to be set alight. Scott had been wrong to spend the cash so soon but he was right about one thing - Kane had stuffed up. Again.

Richie had a grudging admiration for Scott - he was no dork. He'd got home around six, taken one look at his Dad and the grog, got himself some tucker, gone upstairs with it and stayed there. Scott instinctive knew how to avoid pushing him too far, when to stay out of his way. Unlike his youngest son. Kane was far too soft. Needed a lesson in toughening up.

And he was about to get it, he thought, as there was a hesitant rapping on the front door.

**CHAPTER 6**

Partly because it was dark, party because it was raining heavily, Kane hadn't stopped running since the caravan park and he was out of breath.

When it was dark, Summer Bay was full of strange terrifying shadows that weren't there in daylight and the roar of the sea sounded like the sea monsters that Scotty said came ashore by night looking for little kids to eat.

In his own garden he swapped his fear of the dark for another fear. It had been a beaut day but it was back to the reality. A light was burning in the front room and through the glass he could see Richie. He was watching TV - and, oh Jeez, drinking! Okay, he had to be real careful now. Dad, Mum, Scotty, you never knew which of them was going to take a swing at you for some reason or no reason, and you had to keep all of them sweet - but Dad was the most dangerous.

Kane took a deep breath. He stretched but he still couldn't quite reach the doorbell so he knocked uncertainly on the door.

Richie opened it, inhaling leisurely on a cigarette. Kane could hear a footie game on TV. Feel the warmth of indoors. Smell freshly cooked pizza. He took a step inside.

His father shoved him roughly back

"Your Ma didn't want you any more so she shot through. I don't either. Rack off!"

He slammed the door in his son's face and laughed.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Dani had read the twins some more of Peter Pan and they'd just started on Cinderella - Gran had bought them the book today from Yabbie Creek. She smiled as she put the stories away and looked at Jade. Her little sister had fallen fast asleep, still cuddling Abby, the doll that she took with her everywhere. She looked cute.

Kirsty swung suddenly out of the top bunk.

"Kirsty, you're supposed to be going asleep," Dani said, whispering so as not to disturb Jade.

"The rain sounds funny!" Kirsty said, in as quiet a voice as possible, listening to the tinny sound hitting the roof. "It's different rain here."

"Don't be silly, it's only ordinary rain," Dani whispered back.

"It's not, it's Summer Bay rain." Kirsty found her footing on Jade's bed and jumped softly to the floor, but her twin barely stirred. "It goes out from Summer Bay to all the oceans in the world so's no matter where you are you always remember here. Kane said so. He said it's special rain."

She and Kane had stayed together all day though both Dani and Jade had got a bit jealous. Kirsty hadn't meant to ignore them, but she couldn't help it, she'd never known anyone, not even Jade, who understood her so well. She ran to see the special rain, but the caravan window was too dark and misty to look out.

"Sweetie, what do you think you're doing?" Dani always tried to sound like Shelley when she was trying to be grown up with the twins.

Kirsty thought it sucked when Dani used names like 'sweetie', so she didn't answer. With some difficulty, she pushed open the caravan window and cold drops of rain splashed in on her face. She was sure it felt like no rain she'd ever felt before.

"Close the window!" Dani said in a loud stage whisper.

"Told you - special rain! Come and see it, Dan!" Kirsty forgot to keep her voice down.

"I already can and it's just ordinary rain!"

"No, it's not, Kane said it's special rain that goes out to the sea and oceans!"

"Kirsty, all rain does that, we did it in school!"

"But it doesn't all make you remember Summer Bay like Kane sa...

"Kane said this, Kane said that, I'm sick of hearing what Kane said!"

"Girls, what's with all the yelling?" Mary Sutherland had given up on trying to watch a favourite soap.

The shouting woke Jade and she sat up sleepily, wondering for a second or two where she was and why the ceiling was so low. Then she remembered. She was on holiday and the ceiling was her twin's bunk bed and Kirsty and Dani were arguing about Kane.

"Kane's Kirsty's boyfriend!" she giggled, falling back on her pillow.

"He is NOT, Jade Sutherland!" Kirsty said hotly. Unlike Dani and Jade, she reckoned it was geeky to have boyfriends and she was pretty sure Kane felt the same way about girlfriends. "He's my bestest mate!"

Quickly, before another argument broke out, Mary Sutherland had the window closed, the dispute resolved more or less amicably and the twins tucked up in bed.

"It IS special rain though, Gran, why can't Dani see?" Kirsty asked later, puzzled.

Jade had only been half awake and had fallen back into a deep sleep, and Dani, who was allowed to stay up a bit later because she was older, was with Grandad so it was just the two of them.

"Perhaps it's only special rain to special people," Gran said mysteriously, kissing Kirsty's forehead.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The large, wrought iron front gate creaked and rattled like a horror movie intro as Kane swung himself back and forth, glad of the faint glow of the streetlamp that broke the dark. The moon kept dodging behind the rainclouds and the veil of rain made it too misty to even see the stars to play the picture game, but he wasn't sure he wanted to.

He had to be grown up now. He'd been swinging on the gate for some time, both to keep warm and because he was trying to figure out what he was going to do now the oldies didn't want him anymore. He'd have to quit school and get a job.

"G'day!"

Kane recognised the voice of one of his neighbours.

Frank Rimmer, on his way home from work, was startled to come across little Kane Phillips playing out in the torrential rain. He was drenched.

"Don't you reckon you should be playing _indoors_ now, mate?"

Kane shrugged. "My Dad won't let me in. I don't live there any more. I gotta get a job."

_"A job...?_" Frank was baffled.

But he had five young kids himself and their games often didn't make any sense. Kids didn't think the same way as adults. Probably Richie Phillips hadn't heard the door because of the noise of the rain and now Kane had convinced himself he'd been thrown out. Ordinarily he wouldn't have interfered because no one round here liked cops or other stickybeaks, but one of his own kids was about Kane's age so he took it on himself to go down the path to bang loudly on Richie's front window.

"Rich, mate! Your kid's locked out !"

Richie staggered to the door. He took a while to undo the bolts because he was swaying so much but by the time he did he was all smiles. "G'day, Frank! Jeez, Kane, whatcha doin' out here? I thought you was inside with Scott!"

"Kids, eh?" Frank grinned. He could see Richie was blotto, but he'd heard a rumour Richie's wife had been seen walking out carrying a suitcase, and anyway he was often drunk himself.

"Yeh, kids!" Richie agreed.

Frank didn't hang around for long. Rich needed his space, needed to drown his sorrows over his Sheila. Richie waited for Frank to reach the end of the path and pull the squeaking gate to behind him before he closed the door.

From the corner of his eye he could see Kane edging towards the stairs. "So you're so

/-/-/- soft you go whingin' to the /-/-/-/-/ neighbours now?"

Kane picked up the speed of an Olympic runner. He was on the next to last step. He'd nearly made it to the top.

His father stumbled drunkenly back down twice but he could take much bigger steps, his arms could reach much further. Kane could smell the grog stronger than ever. Richie grabbed his ankle, swung him over the banister...

...and then he let go...

**CHAPTER 7**

Kane woke to a bright yellow sunlight hitting his eyes and a room that reeked of beer and stale tobacco. He remembered the terror of last night as he'd plunged into nothingness, then the momentary relief as he landed on something soft, then the terror again, listening to his father's staggering footsteps and drunken cursing as he crashed into furniture.

He remembered not daring to move from the jumble of old clothes on the ripped couch. Mum had pushed it to the side of the stairs some days ago when she'd been spring cleaning and it had broken his fall, though the impact of landing had still hurt and he'd managed to bang his face hard enough to knock a tooth out. He'd stayed there listening, trying to keep alert, but must have carelessly drifted into sleep. Now he sat up and looked around cautiously. Dad was snoring and the TV was talking to itself about a presidential election in some far-off country. There was a sudden creak on the stairs.

"Jeez, that was some blue last night!" Scott said in a low voice, watching Richie warily. "I heard ya fall downstairs."

"You coulda seen if I was okay!"

"I don't do anything I don't wanna, jerk!" Scott pushed a threatening fist in his face. "And don'tcha forget I owe you for stuffing up over the caravan shop cos I ain't forgot, I ain't never gonna forget..."

Richie mumbled something in his sleep and he backed off slightly, ready to do a runner the moment Dad woke. "You'll keep. Read this."

Scott had had a profitable morning searching round upstairs while Dad was out for the count, and he was now five dollars, a packet of mints, a half full packet of fags and a box of matches richer. He unfurled the note he'd found in Dad's jacket pocket.

Kane took a while to focus. His vision was still blurry. He scanned through the words in surprise. "Mum's gone on holiday!"

"I said read it - that means all of it - or can't ya read?" It bugged Scotty that Kane could read better than himself so he always had to make out Kane was the dill. He'd been able to understand an odd word here and there but not enough to make sense.

Kane choked back tears. If Scott knew he was missing Mum he'd tease him about it all the time. Scotty didn't seem to need anyone like Kane did..

_Richie _

_Needed to clear my head and I decided going on holiday was probably the best way to do that. I'm gone for at least two weeks. Don't bother trying to figure out where I am. I'm not as stupid as you think and I've got rid of all the paperwork."_

"Yeh, well, you better make sure you put it back in Dad's black jacket or he'll kill you."

"I can't go upstairs. I don't think I live here any more."

Scotty shook his head. "You're not the full quid, you."

The shrill ringing of the phone cut into the air and Richie stirred.

"I'm outta here!" Scott said.

Kane froze. He didn't know what mood Dad was gonna be in and even Scotty was better company than no one. "You can't go..."

"I already told you, I don't do anything I don't wanna!" Scott was out the door before Richie had even picked up the phone.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Sorry, Kirst, looks like Kane and his family have gone out for the day," Bill said.

Kirsty sighed deeply and knocked a third time but Suzy Palmer's caravan remained obstinately silent.

"But he said he'd come with us today. Grandad! He knew all about the picnic and everything!" She bit her lip to stop a stray tear.

"I suppose Kane's Mum wanted him to go with them today, we can't hog him forever," Mary said.

Kirsty jumped down from the top of the caravan steps. She did the same every time she left their own caravan, even though her grandparents kept telling her they were too high for her, and as usual she fell over and as usual was on her feet before anyone tried to help.

"It'll be neat, just the three of us." Dani said encouragingly, cradling the extra bag she'd packed with potato chips and a cold drink each for the twins.

Her grandparents had the main picnic food, and that was fine for sausage rolls and stuff, but Dani had insisted on packing extra of the babies' favourite chips and juice. Though she felt guilty about it, she was secretly glad Kane was out. She hadn't liked Kirsty hanging on to his every word like she usually did with Dani.

"Yeh, and you can play with my doll for a bit," Jade said, hoping to cheer her twin up with a great sacrifice.

"And I might teach you and Jade some dance steps later - if you're good," Dani added. Dani and her personal stereo were as inseparable as Jade and her doll.

"Come on, guys, we better get going before it's time to come back and before your Grandad starts eating all the doughnuts," Mary laughed, adjusting her sunglasses, glad she'd packed even more suntan lotion than usual for the grandkids. The blazing sun was scorching down from a perfect cloudless sky and its heat had very quickly cleared away last night's heavy rainfall.

"Yeh," Kirsty said flatly.

Dolls, dances, doughnuts, none of it mattered without Kane. Kane was funny yet sad, tough yet kind, good yet bad and she missed him heaps.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Richie replaced the receiver. He'd been charm itself while talking on the phone but inwardly he was cursing. So they'd like him to call in the cop shop so that a social worker from DOCS could check on how Kane was doing since the caravan shop robbery. Routine questioning. Richie wasn't stupid. They were bound to mention the fire. Well, nothing could connect him. Jed and Harry would have done their job far too well for that. They wouldn't have liked to be on the end of Richie's wrath if they hadn't. But last night's problem now...he had to tread more carefully here...

"If you know what's good for you, you won't ever breathe a word to anyone about the...accident...last night," he said.

Not that he was to blame - this was all Kane's fault for provoking him - but no doubt people wouldn't see it like that and, even now, if the cops got to hear about Kane's fall, he could end up with ten, even twenty, years in the slammer.

It had been a pure fluke that the couch had been where it was. Diane had pushed it there ready for the garbo collection when she'd begun spring cleaning. Richie had noticed the cop glancing towards it when she'd brought his sons home after the caravan shop robbery, remembered thinking PC Elaine Harris didn't miss much and feeling annoyed that Diane fooled him with her spring cleaning ploy while she packed under his very nose.

"You got that?" he added, because his small son seemed far more interested in some game that involved piling up old clothes than listening.

"Yeh," Kane said vaguely, frowning thoughtfully at a pair of well worn boots and deciding there was no way they would be any use.

Dad was in a good mood - he'd heard him chatting happily away on the phone - so he was sure he wouldn't mind him taking the garbo for his new home. He'd worked out he could live in the burnt out, roofless garden shed, build a roof out of the old clothes, hunt fish down in Yabbie Creek and collect apples from the tree in Frank Rimmer's garden.

And, Jeez, as if he was gonna dare tell anyone! Once he'd seen Dad bash a guy for lagging so Kane knew exactly what happened to laggers. Besides it wasn't like it was the first time Dad had thrown him around when he was drunk, he was used to it, prob'ly happened to most kids. Nah, the most important thing at the moment was Dad wasn't drunk and was in a good mood so that meant he wouldn't get thrown around and it was safe.

"If you ever talk to the cops they'll lock you in a dark, dark cell forever. No lights. No telly. No torch. Only The Dark."

Richie had his kid's full attention now - he knew full well his terror of the dark. Time to play his next card. "Okay, we gotta go out so you better run up and get a bath and I'll get ya some clean clothes."

Kane stared at his father in amazement. "So I still live HERE?"

"Yeh, yeh, put a move on," said Richie impatiently. Then he said something that really took Kane's breath away. "We're gonna go to McDonald's."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Scotty was dying to try his first smoke but he needed a place where no stickybeaks could poke their noses in and the caravan park was the nearest and quietest place he could think of. He hid behind an empty van, lit a match, fired up the cigarette and inhaled deeply.

Almost immediately, he turned green and chucked up. Jeez, what the hell did people get out of this? He was still leaning his forehead on the caravan when he heard them go past. It was the name that caught his attention.

"Maybe Kane will come with us tomorrow," someone said. A little kid's voice.

He looked curiously round the side of the van. It had to be them. Three kids and two wrinklies, obviously the grandparents. They had their backs to him, heading for the park exit, but he was pretty sure they were the same guys Kane had been talking to the day Scott had robbed the shop. Pretty damn sure they were talking about the same Kane.

So Kane HAD lied about not knowing them - sounded to Scott like they were all best buddies! First time he'd known Kane to have any mates - which would make it all the more satisfying. He grinned. He'd warned Kane he would get him real good for stuffing up. And the plan taking shape in his mind was perfect...

/**CHAPTER 8**

"No, no, no, Kirsty!" Dani was fast losing patience with the babies. Kirsty kept doing all the wrong moves and Jade insisted her doll had to learn the dance steps as well. "It's three steps left, then turn right round!"

"Like Abby," said Jade helpfully, bent forward and dancing her baby doll in front of her like a puppet. "Good on ya, Abby, clever girl!"

"Jade, we can't be a proper girl band with a doll!" Dani protested. "It's ruining our act. How can we 'spect our public to take us seriously?"

Kirsty had had enough. If Kane was here, the two of them would've been playing dares, but all Dani and Jade wanted to play was dolls and dancing. "I'm with a couple of /-/-/-/- dorks!" she sighed, rolling her eyes heavenwards.

The word was out before she realised and her hands flew to her mouth, but it was too late.

"Oh, sweetie!" said Dani, folding her arms in her best Shelley-disappointed-impression, while Jade stared at her twin in shock.

Worse, Gran and Grandad were sitting nearby sunbathing and they'd overheard.

"Kirsty!" Mary Sutherland was horrified. "Where on earth did you learn language like that?"

"I think I'd better have a word with young Kane's Mum," Bill said gravely.

"No, Grandad! It wasn't Kane, I just heard it!" Kirsty lied, desperate to protect her bestest mate. She couldn't bear the thought of not being allowed to see Kane again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"It's not just that, pet," Mary said, crouching down to her little granddaughter and taking Kirsty's hands in her own. "It's not very nice to call your sisters dorks now, is it?"

"No-o," Kirsty agreed. "But Kane didn't tell me that word either!"

Looked like the dancing was over for the day. With a sigh, Dani put her headphones on and switched on her music. She didn't know what she'd do without her music. Jade burst into tears because she hated Kirsty to get shouted at and Bill lifted her into his arms to console her. He exchanged a look with his wife. The girls never used to fight as much as this.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"G'day, Kane!" PC Elaine Harris smiled. Richie and his son were just leaving the police station as she walked through carrying some files. Then she frowned. "You're not in any more trouble...?"

"Nah," Richie said. "They just wanted to see how he was doin'. Kane told 'em all about his trip to McDonald's, didn't ya, mate?"

Elaine hadn't been able to shake off an uneasy feeling since she'd visited the Phillips' home. Richie Phillips was very handsome, no doubting that, but as she'd left that night she'd thought for a brief moment she'd seen something else in his face...something hard. And Kane's eyes, a bright sparkling blue, unlike his Dad's and his brother's, had been strangely haunted.

Richie was called to the desk to sign some papers or other and Elaine seized her chance.

"You doing okay, Kane?"

Kane froze. If you ever talk to the cops, Dad had said, they'd lock you in a dark, dark cell forever. Kane wasn't taking any chances. He nodded dumbly.

She needed to somehow get Kane on side, to trust her.

"See you got the Happy Meal batmobile, huh? Collected any others?"

Kane shook his head emphatically. No way was he gonna talk to a cop and end up locked in The Dark!

"Kane, if something's worrying you, you can tell me. You know you can talk to me?"

Ha, trying to catch him out! Cops were cunning, they'd try anything to get you to speak just so's they could lock you up, but he was no dill. He nodded again.

"We gotta go," Richie said, turning from the counter.

He smiled that smile that made Elaine's heart skip a beat again and she convinced herself it must have all been her imagination. Kane seemed happy enough and DOCS would surely have picked up on anything wrong. Besides, she had other things on her mind. She was transferring to another station tomorrow to complete her police training.

Kane began talking as soon as they left the police station, anything and everything that came into his head, from his opinion they should put lemonade instead of water in drinking taps, to whether or not anybody really could count to a million. He was stoked to be out with his Dad and he had heaps he wanted to tell him.

Richie was tired of pretending to be the perfect father. Now Kane had told the social worker his Dad was ace and they went on days out he didn't have to keep up the act any longer. Kane's incessant chatter had got on his nerves, but he'd gritted his teeth because his kids could get taken from him. And his kids were his kids, his property, his to decide what to do with.

"Will you stop your /-/-/-/ jabbering!" He suddenly tore the Batmobile out of his son's hands and trampled on it.

The sunlight caught the broken pieces of plastic and made them glisten like tears as Kane stared in bewilderment at the shattered toy. He'd thought Dad had decided he liked him after all, but he still didn't even though they'd gone to McDonald's and he'd told the social worker Kane was a great kid and as a special treat he was gonna buy him a footie shirt they'd seen in a shop window on the way to the cop station - but they'd already walked past the shop where they'd seen the shirt...

...The street was crowded with shoppers and the day rang with voices and the shops were bright with displays and no one took much notice of one small boy in the middle of it all.

"Move it, ya /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/ drongo!" Richie said in a low voice only Kane could hear, turning on his heel and striding ahead so that Kane had to run to catch up or face the consequences if he didn't.

And all the old fears he'd thought had gone forever came rushing back, though the sun was still streaming down and people were still laughing. And nothing in the world made sense except Kirsty.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I'm here, let's go!" Kane announced brightly when Kirsty's Gran opened the caravan door.

"Go where exactly?" Mary Sutherland blinked. She and Bill had thought about cooling Kane and Kirsty's friendship after the swearing but they hadn't the heart. They were only here for two weeks, Kirsty was happy when she was with him and Kane looked after her. The only problem was he had a habit of turning up unexpectedly and at that moment she was very, very busy.

"I'm easy, no worries." Kane shrugged.

Anywhere as long as he was with Kirsty. Just away. Away from all the bad things at home that you didn't dare tell anyone about because Dad said if you did the cops would come and didn't Kane remember what he'd told him would happen if he talked to a cop?

Dad was doing one of his mysterious deals which meant angry raised voices in the dead of night and him and Scotty watching from the bedroom window when a fight between two of the guys spilled over into the garden. And when the loser finally staggered away, collapsing twice on the path and leaning for an age against the gate, and each time Kane terrified he was dead, Scotty had turned to him, his eyes glinting scarily in the moonlight, and said, "See, he musta stuffed up. I got somethin' real good saved for you for stuffin' up."

It wasn't just the caravan shop now, Scotty was sore over McDonald's too, and the longer Scotty let it go before he took revenge the heavier you copped it. And so you were scared of falling asleep and you jumped at every noise, and in the morning you crept past the broken glass on the stairs, listening out in case Dad or Scotty woke, and you tried not to stand in the trail of blood on the path and you wished so hard you had a Mum.

"Well, we hadn't planned to go anywhere so it's real nice of you not to mind." Mary Sutherland wasn't normally sharp with kids but she had her hands full.

The sarcasm went over Kane's head. "Oh, that's okay," he said, feeling like he must have been very generous, walking in uninvited.

And then his eyes widened in fear. Jade had her head tilted forward, the blood pouring from her face, and Dani was hysterical.

**CHAPTER 9**

"Where's Kirsty?" Kane asked, frantic with anxiety. Jade's face was covered in blood and Dani was sobbing . "Is she okay? Is she with her Grandad? You want me to go look for them?"

"Kane, they've only gone to get groceries!" Mary said, applying a fresh tissue to Jade's nose and trying to calm her two grandchildren.

"Yeh, well, I'd better go find them 'cos I'm the man," Kane said, leaving Mary Sutherland staring after him in confusion.

A thousand terrors were running through his mind. He'd thought Kirsty, Jade and Dani were safe, he really had, but it just proved you could never, ever trust grown-ups, they always let you down in the end. Occasionally an official-looking person would visit Mum and Dad to talk about Kane and Scott, always phoning or writing first, and for a day they played happy families, but it was always ten times worse after they'd gone.

And once he'd tried to tell a teacher he got to like about home, but he got his words mixed up because he knew Dad would kill him if he ever found out. So Mr Cooper had spoken to Scott instead and Scotty had said it was all lies - but he was getting too big to be hit, Dad didn't chance pushing him around too much now. Scotty had made five dollars for telling Dad and Dad had waited for Kane and...Jeez, he just wasn't gonna tell no more teachers!

Kirsty and her Grandad were coming through the entrance to the caravan park, having had to go into Summer Bay itself for their groceries since the fire at the caravan shop. Bill was carrying two bags and Kirsty had a football tucked under one arm and was carrying a mysterious large flat parcel in her other hand.

"Hey, bestest mate!" she ran happily to greet him. "Wanna game of footie?"

She was wearing shorts instead of her usual trousers today and he could see a huge blue-black bruise on her knee and there was a cut on her elbow that hadn't been there last time he saw her.

"Kirst, you gotta tell me!" he whispered urgently. "Your Grandad - he been drinking?"

Kirsty was going to laugh because she thought he was fooling when he put both hands on her arms but there was a sadness in his eyes that almost broke her heart. So she thought about it very, very carefully before she nodded seriously and answered slowly.

"Yeh, he had a cup of tea with brekkie and some OJ and oh, yeh, some lemmo and does milk on cereal count?"

"No, no, I mean he been drinking kindred spirits?"

"Dunno...don't think so...but I dunno..."

Kirsty was puzzled when Kane pulled a face to warn her Grandad might overhear but she nodded in agreement. She didn't know what was going on, but she'd have trusted Kane with her life.

"Kane! Here again? We adopted you or something?" Bill laughed as he caught them up. "Joke, mate, joke," he added, taken aback by the intensity of his look. Suzy Palmer seemed nice enough but her little boy certainly had some issues.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rhys Sutherland looked up at the kitchen clock as he washed the veggies for dinner. He was counting the days till the kids came back. He couldn't wait for the three mini tornados to storm through every room and the noise reach _waaay_ above the sound barrier again. Jade would fuss over the dolls and cuddly toys she'd had to leave behind, Dani would want to show them some new dance or sing them some new song, and Kirsty, the noisiest of the three, would have yet more battle scars from playing boys' games.

Kirsty was always showing off about her scars and the fact she didn't cry. Sometimes, when Rhys went to pick the girls up from school, and she displayed her latest plaster like a medal and gave a detailed account of how she'd injured herself, he got the impression she wanted him to say 'Half your luck!'

According to his parents, Kirsty's "bestest mate" was just as accident prone. Rhys thought he' wouldn't mind meeting this kid one day. He smiled to himself. No doubt this kid's father was every bit as proud of him as Rhys was of his own kids!

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kirsty angrily kicked the ball and yet again it banged against the side of a caravan and bounced back to her.

They'd been chased out to play after Kirsty had been showing Kane how she'd swung from the bunk bed and got the bruise on her knee, and last night's jump from the bedside locker when she'd cut her elbow, and, being a bestest mate, Kane had decided to try out both moves for himself.

"Not fair! Dani can scream and Jade can scream and I might wanna scream too and I can scream louder than both of them cos we had a screaming contest once and I won."

Kane smiled, happy now he knew Kirsty was okay. Jade had a nosebleed. She often got them, Kirsty said, and Dani always freaked when she saw the blood. Kirsty herself never freaked when she saw blood because she was used to falling over but she liked making a noise.

"I don't think your Gran and Grandad let Dani stay just so's she could scream. They said she could only stay and help if she stopped screaming."

"Yeh, well..." Kirsty furiously whacked the ball at the caravan again. "Jade's my twin and if anyone gets to scream when she has a nosebleed it should be me. It's a real loud scream. Wanna hear it?"

"Okay!" Kane caught the football as it bounced off the caravan.

Kirsty took a breath and gave it her best shot. A long, long high-pitched wailing scream.

"Ripper!" Kane said, impressed.

"Your turn!" Kirsty grinned breathlessly.

So Kane screamed. And tears sprang suddenly to Kirsty's eyes but she didn't know why. It was only a game.

He screamed for every time Dad's fist smashed into his face. For every time the door was locked and his bed was a patch of cold, hard ground. For all the hurt and all the pain and all the loneliness.

Kirsty caught hold of his hand for some reason she didn't understand herself.

Passers by glared disapprovingly. A couple of caravan doors swung open.

The maintenance guy fixing a water sprinkler took charge. "You kids rack off, go on, you flamin' galahs!"

"You go to /-/-/-/ hell!" Kane said, kicking the water sprinkler which made a gush of water flow and drench the man's shoes.

The maintenance guy never knew the terror of having no one to run to and nowhere to hide, never knew what it was like to be alone looking up at the stars with tears stinging your eyes.

"Yeh, you go to /-/-/-/- hell!" Kirsty squeezed Kane's hand tighter and kicked the sprinkler in solidarity.

Then they ran like outlaws, laughing to each other in their despair.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Betty Thomas shuddered every time the ball thudded against the caravan. The fire had left her jumping at every shadow.

When the screaming started she was terrified someone had been hurt but when she looked through the window she saw the youngest Phillips boy vandalising the water sprinkler and giving the maintenance man a mouthful of abuse. His behaviour didn't surprise her. What did shock her was the little girl.

She recognised her as one of the three very well brought up children who'd often come into her shop with their grandparents. Betty was leaving the caravan park forever tomorrow and she had intended to leave without any fuss but now she wondered - was she foolhardy enough to risk crossing Richie Phillips again?

Even thinking of Richie Phillips made her tremble. If he had the shop burnt down just because she'd reported his kids to the police what else was he capable of? He had visited her the day after the fire, feigning concern, but there'd been a hidden threat in every single word. And she was all alone, her nearest relative a sister in New Zealand whom she was flying out to live with. He'd mentioned that a few times, the fact she was frail and alone.

She fingered the necklace that had been a present from her late husband. Tom had always believed in sleeping out a problem. That was what she would do. Tomorrow everything would be so much clearer. For today she would push the decision to the back of her mind. There were hours and hours yet before darkness fell.

The stars had not yet danced shimmering reflections on the dark blue sea of the Bay nor the night breeze whispered through the waves like a gentle lullaby. Richie Phillips was not yet furious and drunk and waiting for Kane. A broken bike chain wrapped round his fist.

**CHAPTER 10**

"Mashed potato!" Kirsty announced.

"Never!" Kane said. "A plane couldn't fly through mashed potato."

Kirsty giggled at the thought. It would have been fun if planes landed at airports covered in mashed potato. Especially if the pilot got out with mashed potato dripping all down his head.

They were holding on to the rungs of the monkey ladder, hanging by their knees and looking at the world upside-down, having arrived at the kids' playground after running away from the maintenance guy.

"Okay, what do you reckon?" she asked.

"Uhhh...well, I KNOW it's ice 'cos we did it in school when we were doing rain so I reckon if clouds had taste they would taste of...ice cream!"

"Oh, yeh! And then if you wanted some ice cream you just put your head out of the window."

"Nah, Kirst, you can't open a window on a plane."

"Yeh, but this is pretend so we can!"

She imagined the bliss of reaching into the sky for the ice cream cloud and dangled her arms to rock herself happily to and fro like a circus trapeze performer.

"Kirsty!" Kane yelled, startled, hastily reaching out to steady her. "Don't do that!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Normally Kirsty did the complete opposite of what people said she couldn't do, but because it was Kane she pulled herself up through the rungs to sit on top of the monkey ladder. "But I wouldn't have falled," she added, as Kane swung himself up to join her. "And I wasn't scared."

"Yeh, well, I was for you."

"You swung "no hands" too."

"I'm bigger. I don't get hurt no more. You're too little."

"I am?"

"Yeh."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

It was a funny kind of blue because they both kept smiling.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Without Richie knowing a thing about it, Scott had had a front door key copied a long time ago. He wheeled the bike inside the cold silent Phillips house. If Dad had been home there was no way he'd have chanced it but Richie Phillips had gone to watch some big footie game in the city and wouldn't be back till late. Scotty could afford to take his time.

He swigged from the large bottle of lemo he'd found in the fridge and angrily kicked the bike leaning against the couch. Frank Rimmer, a neighbour who lived at the very top of the street and who was something of a sook, had passed the old bike to Richie "for when Kane's a bit bigger", but Scott had decided to keep it instead. "It's not much good though," Frank had added apologetically. Too bloody right it wasn't, Scott thought, kicking the bike again.

He'd wanted the satisfaction of paying Kane back for the caravan shop stuff-up today. Maybe he shouldn't have left it so long but he had his reasons other than wanting to make sure Kane was scared enough to do what he said and anyways he'd been busy doing over some shops in Yabbie Creek with his mates. But if he didn't move fast he was gonna blow payback altogether!

Halfway through following Kane down to the caravan site the bike chain had decided to loosen itself and flatly refused to be fitted back on again. Even his mates hadn't been around to help - Scott reckoned the fewer people knew about his revenge plan the safer for him. So only Scott himself knew what was going to happen. And Kane would get to know. That was, until the bike. And a lot depended on the bike.

Once Kane had got his instructions Scotty would need to get away as fast as possible.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I don't know what you've been doing, Kirsty Sutherland, but you better wash your face, it's filthy."

Kirsty exchanged a secret look with Kane. They had come back via the burnt out caravan site shop, ducking under the safety barrier and daring each other to go inside. She put a hand up to her face and traced a black mark running down her cheek.

"But it'll only get dirty again, Gran!" she reasoned logically.

Mary Sutherland laughed. "That may be so, but I'd still like you to wash your face before we tell you where we've decided to go today. You too, Kane!"

Kane grinned. He never minded being told stuff like to get washed or not to drink coke too fast for the bubbles to go up your nose. No one at home cared what he did unless he got in their way and then it was dangerous. Getting told off by the Sutherlands had never been dangerous, but he didn't wanna push his luck.

Even when they had a water fight while washing and Kirsty's Grandad shouted because he had to mop up, Bill Sutherland began laughing because Kirsty was pulling funny faces at Kane without realising he could see them both in the mirror.

Kane was desperately trying to warn her not to because he'd been bashed more than once by his Dad when Richie thought he'd looked at him the wrong way and he was terrified the same thing might happen to Kirsty. That was what made Bill suddenly study Kane more closely, not the warning, he expected as much from a little kid, but the fact he looked genuinely scared.

"That another bruise you got there, Kane?" Bill was still laughing as he flicked some soapy water back at Kirsty but alarm bells were ringing in his head. He reached yet again for the bottle of witch hazel. Between them, Kane and Kirsty were keeping the profits of its manufacturers at an all time high. "How'd you get that one then?"

"Playing," Kane said too quickly.

Dad had hit him last night, he couldn't remember why or even if there had been a why. He couldn't tell him the truth. He had visions of Kirsty's Grandad storming round to the house and Dad bashing the old guy to a pulp.

"Kirsty, Kirsty!" Jade tumbled into the bathroom, her face wreathed in smiles. "Gran says we're going to the theme park!"

_"Yayyy!" _The twins hugged each other and jumped up and down, slightly rocking the caravan.

Dani followed at a more sedate pace to take each by the hand. "Kirsty! Jade! Don't run about when you were eating lollies not long ago, you'll be sick! And hurry up, you two!"" She sighed at her Grandad who was still busy bathing Kane's bruise.

"Yeh, come ON!" Kirsty added to Kane.

"Women, hey, Kane?" Bill said as Dani swept out with the twins, shaking her head in despair at the male population.

"Mum said I could go to the theme park," Kane said, anxious to stake his claim in the latest day out. Kirsty's Gran and Grandad always had peculiar ideas about how you were supposed to tell your folks where you were going.

"Yeh, I thought she might somehow, mate, though it baffles me how you know all this without even asking her. You two got a psychic connection?"

Kane hadn't a clue what that meant but thought he'd better go along with it. "Yeh," he said warily. "But it's not mine, it's Mum's. I'm only allowed to use it sometimes."

Bill tossed the used cotton wool into the bin. "No worries, mate," he said, smiling, but deep in thought.

Kane always seemed reluctant to go inside the Palmer caravan or spend time with the family. And Jamie had been screaming the place down the first night Bill had walked Kane back. Was Suzy Palmer finding her kids too much to cope with and lashing out?

She never seemed particularly interested in where Kane was going or how long he'd be, though the Sutherlands dutifully kept her informed. Maybe Bill should keep an eye on things and if needs be put her in touch with his daughter-in-law. Shelley was a trained counsellor and would know how to deal with everything professionally.

Suzy Palmer rocked Jamie in her arms and listened politely as Mary Sutherland told her about the theme park they were taking the kids to. She thought Bill and Mary were a lovely old couple, if a bit dotty. For some reason, they always sought her out to tell her all about Kane.

Well, he was a nice enough kid but a golden sun was blazing down and the earlier clouds had lifted to reveal a perfect blue sky and she wanted to take Jamie for a day on the beach. "I really MUST go now," she said at last. She wondered what on earth she'd done to deserve Bill Sutherland's frown as she hurried off.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Scott had just about had enough of the stupid bike. The chain wouldn't stay on no matter how hard he tried. He stood up and listened a while to the music pounding from the stereo, glaring at the cycle murderously.

His hands were covered in black oil and his legs were stiff from crouching down. Okay, one last go. One last go and if it didn't fix this time he'd smash the /-/-/-/-/- contraption to pieces. Deep down Scott knew the loose link in the metal was the problem, but he refused to give up. He needed this damn bike for a very quick getaway once Kane did exactly what he wanted. He impatiently tried again to stretch the chain to fit - and that was when it finally snapped.

Scott swore loudly and furiously hurled the broken chain to the floor. Droplets of oil shot suddenly up into the air and fell back down like a fountain.

It took a lot to scare Scotty but he drew an involuntary sharp breath. Dad was really going to do his block! It was bad enough oil had spattered the wall and furniture, but there was something worse.

Richie Phillips was proud of his reputation as a sharp dresser, no expense spared, and he'd treated himself to some new clobber after clinching a deal on some hot computers. The designer shirt and classy jeans hung on the back of the door, ready to wear tonight out celebrating his footie team's expected victory. Now both were covered in black spots of oil. When Dad got home and saw THAT Scotty was dead. You never dared so much as breathe on Richie Phillips' new clothes before he wore them, not if you wanted to live.

But Dad wouldn't be back for hours yet. Time was on his side when he wormed his way out of this one. Because there was a way out. A very easy way out.

There was Kane.

**CHAPTER 11**

The large flat parcel that Kirsty had been carrying when she and her Grandad returned from the Summer Bay shops turned out to be heaps of drawing paper and drawing materials and the caravan table was strewn with coloured pencils, paper and paints.

The kids were soon busy, Dani sketching a fairytale castle, Jade painting two red dots on Abby's cheeks, Kane colouring a ship and Kirsty drawing little people surfing through the water alongside it. Kane had his doubts.

"They're in the middle of the ocean and too near the ship, Kirst," he said.

"They're very, very brave," Kirsty said. "They go surfing with sharks and don't care."

"Do the sharks have surfboards too?" Jade asked in delight, imagining a friendly shark skimming the waves with a group of fellow surfers while a crowd of onlookers clapped and cheered from the shore.

She smiled like she'd meant it as a joke, but she couldn't understand what everyone found so funny.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"G'day, Suzy!" Bill called.. The Sutherlands were outside the caravan, busy packing tomorrow's luggage in the car, while the kids were out of the way, occupied inside. "Enjoyed your holiday?"

Suzy Palmer slowed down. Jamie had exhausted himself playing on the beach and was fast asleep in his buggy.

"Terrific!" she replied. "Shame this has to be my last time."

Mary nodded sympathetically. The fire had done more to the caravan park than burn down the shop. It had ripped out its heart. Some people had gone home early, worried about safety, and a couple of families, those whose vans had been close to the blaze and had suffered smoke damage, were already pushing for compo. The site owners planned to drastically reduce the size of the park to help pay for it all and the family caravans would be the first to go.

"At least the kids have enjoyed themselves," Mary said. "They had a marvellous time at the theme park, though Kirsty and Kane were disappointed to learn they need to grow much taller to go on white knuckle rides - thank goodness, you should have seen some of the rides they wanted to go on! Kane's inside, by the way, drawing pictures with the girls."

"Oh, right! Well, must rush, see you later," Suzy said, hurrying away before she got the complete history again. The Sutherlands' obsession with telling her all about little Kane was baffling.

"She never wants to talk about her son," Bill remarked.

"And never a thank you for looking after him." Mary said.

She'd thought Bill was being over dramatic when he'd first mentioned his suspicions, but there was definitely something very strange going on with Kane and Suzy Palmer.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Well, you know Kane, Dad..."

"Too bloody right I know Kane, ya drongo! He's my bloody son!"

Richie Phillips stumbled slightly again and tried to focus. His favourite footie team had lost. A guy who owed him money and was meant to meet him at the game didn't show. And now he'd come home to find his newest shirt and jeans covered in oil.

Scotty had had plenty of time to clean himself up and change his clothes, but he still needed to work on keeping Richie sweet. And, like his Dad, Scotty knew how and when to switch on the charm.

"I'll make ya a nice cup of coffee, Dad. Black and strong, just how ya like it. Oh, and your paper got delivered, it's on the table."

Richie sank into his favourite chair and picked up the evening newspaper. Every single day Kane tried his patience but he'd gone way too far this time.

Climbed on the wooden crate and in through the kitchen window like always, Scott had said, then opened the door from the inside to wheel in the bike. Scott had been shocked when he got home later and saw the oil and Kane had done a runner, hoping Scott would get the blame.

"I tried to clean it up, Dad, but I didn't know which stuff was best to use," Scott sighed sympathetically. "But Mum said when she gets home..."

"Your Ma's been in touch?"

"Yeh, said she's missin' ya heaps and she'll ring again later." Scott congratulated himself on saving this piece of news till last. The anger was leaving Dad's voice more and more.

But from the way his face changed every time he looked at the oil-spotted new clobber, Scotty wouldn't be in Kane's shoes tonight for thousands of dollars.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jade was engrossed in painting Abby's lips a garish shade of red when the thought came to her.

"IfI'm crook we can't go home!"

Dani, Kane and Kirsty looked up with interest.

"We'd have to stay on holiday longer if Abby and me got measles." Jade experimentally blotted three clumsy red dots on the doll and four more on her own face.

_"Yehhh!" _Kirsty said approvingly. Anything that kept Kane with her longer was worth a try.

"Yeh, but if you had measles we'd all have measles," Dani pointed out.

"Abby's got them," Jade argued.

"She doesn't count because she's not real."

"Don't you dare say things like that in front of her!" Jade grabbed the baby doll to comfort her, knocking over the plastic beaker of water that they'd been dipping paintbrushes into, soaking Kane and Kirsty's painting and blurring the colours.

"Jade, look what you done!" Kirsty yelled.

Jade cuddled Abby fiercely and stared defiantly though two tears were rolling slowly down her cheeks.

"Nah, it's cool," Kane said, laughing. "Reckon it sank, hey, Jade? Jade the Torpedo!"

"But it was so good!" Kirsty said. It took a lot, an awful lot, to make her do her block with her twin, but Kane's eyes had been so different while he'd been painting the ship. Like he forgot to be sad.

Kane shrugged. He never kept anything. Scotty would only ruin it. Last time he'd taken paintings home from school Scott had torn them up, announced _'it's snowing!_' and fluttered tiny pieces of paper from an upstairs window while Kane was walking underneath.

Jade gave a heartbreaking sob. "Everybody's being mean to me, even Kirsty, and I'm not a torpedo, I'm a Jade!"

"I wasn't being mean to you!" Kirsty began crying herself, stricken with guilt.

"Hey, it's okay!" Dani reached across the table to reassuringly squeeze Jade and Kirsty's hands. "I reckon we should all have measles - Abby too - and Kane can paint them on cos he's best at drawing."

"Cool!" Kane readily agreed, enthusiastically dipping a thick paintbrush into the brightest red of the paintbox. "Who wants to be spotted first?"

When she went back inside the caravan to see why the kids were so suspiciously quiet, Mary Sutherland didn't even bother trying to figure out why her three granddaughters were patiently sitting like statues while Kane, deep in concentration, was carefully painting red dots on each. She sighed in bewildered amusement and switched on the caravan immersion heater.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Diane Phillips glanced at her watch as she threw the last item into the suitcase. She hadn't planned to go back, but she missed the excitement of her fights with Richie. And she missed her two whinging kids too. At least, she missed Scott.

Scott was pretty much old enough to take care of himself, but Kane...! Jeez, she never knew a kid for getting in the way, for playing stupid kids' games, for always wanting to jabber on about what he did in school till a well aimed smack silenced him. Richie said he needed toughening up and he was right. Diane wasn't going to be soft with Kane either.

**CHAPTER 12**

It was strange, Kirsty thought, locking her hand in Kane's, how a sudden breeze stole in from the sea the moment Grandad opened the caravan door.

The wind whipped up her hair and their pictures swept across the table. Except for Kane's spoilt painting. The corners flapped and it slid a little, but Dani, standing nearby, slammed down her fist and caught it just in time.

Jade, who was sitting at the table drawing, tried to stop the rest, no mean feat while holding a doll, but only succeeded in helping them fall and she sank down in pursuit.

"Kane's going now!" Bill called.

A small white hand fluttered above the table.

"Bye, Kane! Oh, wow, I found ten cents and Abby's lost sock!" announced the hand's owner.

"Jade, you just got washed!" Dani chided good-humouredly, hands on her hips, wondering where she got her patience for the babies from.

"There's other stuff!" replied the disembodied voice. "A footie card! A toy dog!"

Kirsty gasped at Kane and both disappeared under the table. The footie card was almost certainly the one that had been missing from their footie album for ages and how the hell had Boot, Kirsty's toy dog, got down there?

"I give up, I really do!" Dani sighed at her grandparents as three ghostly voices floated up at them.

"That's Boot, that's my dog!"

"I got money...aw, no, it's a button!"

"I found three coloured pencils - no, four!"

"Oww, I banged my head! I'm all squashed and you're in my way!"

"I was here first!"

"You were not, Jade Sutherland, I was born six and a half minutes before you!"

Bill Sutherland rapped on the table. "Does anyone there want chockie? Come out for yes, knock twice for no!"

Jade came out first, smiling, her hair still smelling of shampoo but now full of wood chippings. She was debating whether, as finder, to claim Boot for her cuddly toy collection, he had a sad face and looked in need of love. But somehow she'd known from the moment she found him that he belonged to Kirsty.

Kane helped Kirsty out, anxiously making sure she didn't bang her head again. Unlike Dani and Jade, Kirsty wasn't washed and changed for bed yet because she and Grandad always walked Kane back, and she was still covered in paint and the dust and dirt of the day, while Kane, as usual, looked like he'd just tumbled out of bed and grabbed the nearest clothes.

They looked like two derros, Mary thought, a lump in her throat for the little boy as she chose the largest cartoon character chocolate lollipop for him, she was sure the girls wouldn't mind. Mary and Bill were convinced now that Suzy Palmer was ill-treating her son, but they had to tread very, very carefully when they spoke to Suzy, the last thing they wanted was to make things worse for Kane.

Mary always carried an old photo of her own two sons, Rhys and Peter, of when they were kids and she barely noticed, as she opened her bag for the chockie lollies, that she smiled at it again, but Kane did.

It made him grin, like it made him grin that Dani, listening to her personal stereo, turned her farewell wave to him into a dance, that Jade was cuddling Abby, that Kirsty's Grandad, like he did before he went anywhere, checked the old-fashioned pocket watch that he wore.

And Kirsty, tucking Boot in her pocket and taking Kane's hand, noticed again how blue were those eyes and how cheeky was that grin.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Frank Rimmer hastily tried to backtrack. He wasn't very bright, hadn't even got his HSC, but he was never one to stand back if he thought a kid had been hurt.

"No, no, Rich, I just mean you know boys, you know brothers, they fight, Scott's much bigger..."

Richie's eyes narrowed. "So you reckon I'm not doing a very good job of bringing up my own kids, Frank?"

Every time Frank tried to explain he dug the hole bigger. Richie seemed to change his words before he'd even said them. He began to wish he'd never stopped to knock on the Phillips' door when he'd seen the bike he'd given Kane, its front wheel now buckled, dumped in the front garden, but he was worried the kid had been in an accident. Now he'd ended up telling Richie his suspicions Scott was beating up on Kane and Richie was scowling darkly. Frank wondered what he could find to say next that wouldn't land him in it even deeper.

Richie unexpectedly roared with laughter. "Just havin' a lend of ya, mate! Yeh, Kane, had a bit of a tumble off the bike, ain't tall enough to ride it proper yet, but he's apples, the bike came off worst. He's at that age for fallin' over, bumpin' into things, climbin', fightin' - but don'tcha worry, I soon wade in if I think Scott's givin' him a hard time!"

Frank exhaled. "No hard feelings, Rich?" He held out his hand.

"Nah, nah, I'll even shout ya a beer some time, mate."

Frank's wife Marie had always said someone as good looking as Richie had to be one of the good guys and she was right, thought Frank, he was a bonzer bloke. Frank'd never take him up on the offer of a beer though. Thanks to hard yakka - soon as he got home from the factory Marie left for her hospital shift - the Rimmers had a deposit down on a new place in a better area. Still, Frank left the Phillips', feeling more reassured about little Kane than he had in a long, long time.

Richie controlled his temper with an effort. Frank was built like a bloody house and, tough though he was, Richie didn't take on anyone built like a bloody house. He looked at the tell-tale bike, still lying where he'd thrown it in fury when he'd arrived home. The two cups of black coffee had started to kick in and his brain was less clouded though Jeez he was gonna have another beer soon as he went back inside. So stickybeak neighbours were noticing Kane's injuries. Well, he'd have to be real careful from now on.

Real careful to make sure the bruises didn't show.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Kane. Tell Grandad."

"What?" Her words took him by surprise. He was watching his feet slow down as time drew him nearer the reality of home and hadn't realised his grip on Kirsty's hand had tightened.

"I don't know what. Tell Grandad."

They were near Suzy Palmer's now and the sea breeze was fresh on their faces. The rose bushes swayed in rhythm to its haunting melody echoing above the usual nightime noises of crickets, someone's television, a car door slamming in the distance.

Kane looked back. The old guy had difficulty walking uphill and he was wheezing as he took the slope that led to the final row of caravans.

"Grandad will make everything alright."

But Kirsty never saw what Kane saw, never lived for a second afraid to sleep, afraid to wake, creeping through shadows, trusting no one. Dad could crush her Grandad as easy as if he were made of paper and Kirsty's Gran would crumple without him. Kirsty just didn't know.

And suddenly she kissed him. She wasn't sure why, all her mates were boys and the idea of kissing any of them was gross. But she kissed Kane before she had time to stop and think and without knowing why. It was meant to be on the cheek, but at that moment he sighed heavily and looked down at the ground and her mouth hit his eye and the top of his nose.

Kane looked up, grinning, though his left eye was watering where her lips had caught him, and he kissed her quickly, so quickly, back, her very first kiss from a boy, tasting of chocolate and sending happy little shivers down her spine.

Kirsty's kiss tasted of chocolate too, from the chockie lolly, and of salt, from the single tear that rolled unbidden down her face for a bestest mate who was so sad and couldn't tell anyone why.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Betty Thomas froze and shook her head in disgust. The glow of one of the many thin ornamental lamposts that lit up the caravan park shone down on the two children she'd just finished telling her sister about - in fact, she'd hung up the receiver in the payphone area feeling a huge sense of relief that she had Joan to confide in.

Now the anger and fear returned as she watched them and little girl's grandfather talking together. If she'd had one of those new mobile phone things that were lately creeping into the market she'd have tapped in her sister's number immediately. After the torching of her shop Betty wasn't going to let the Phillips' family get away with any more than they already had. She was glad she'd accidentally bumped into Suzy Palmer on her way to the phones. Suzy Palmer knew the truth about Kane Phillips now. Bill Sutherland didn't yet. But he would, he would, oh by morning he would.

/**CHAPTER 13**

"It's very, very important you know what to do, mate," Bill Sutherland said.

Kane nodded. He was sure he'd remember even if Kirsty's Grandad hadn't got him to say it back three times.

The Sutherlands' caravan would be unlocked. Kane was to wait for them at nine o'clock tomorrow. Yeh, 'course he could tell the time, they did that in school ages ago and he got first once and second twice in the tests. He didn't know why he suddenly gave Kirsty's Grandad that information. He'd stopped telling Mum and Dad when he did well in school and he'd never told Scotty.

"First once and second twice? Good on yer, mate!" Bill repeated, smiling, and Kirsty smiled too, though she'd been listening very seriously to Grandad when he told Kane about tomorrow.

Kirsty's smile was special. It hid when the wind blew her long hair across her face and danced back even more beautiful when she pushed her hair away. The caravan site was close to the beach and sometimes picked up the cool of the sea and Kirsty's Tigger T-shirt rippled in the breeze as she shivered.

"Ya cold?" Kane asked in concern.

"A bit," she replied, so he put his arm round her shoulders to warm her. Kirsty was tall for her age and Kane was small for his age and their heights blended them together perfectly, a miniature yin and yang.

"We better head back," Bill said, checking the pocket watch he wore. "Worth a fortune, this watch," he added jokingly, to lighten the sombre mood.

The Sutherlands had decided that they would see Suzy tomorrow, exchange addresses, ask if she would talk with Shelley. Suzy didn't seem a deliberately cruel person, there was never a mark on Jamie and he was a happy little kid, but they wanted to make sure Kane was safe in their own caravan when they brought up the subject, and in the meantime they would carry on as usual, taking the girls to the swimming pool for a last swim as originally planned. Their daughter-in-law occasionally counselled abused kids, but Bill and Mary had never had to deal with it themselves and they were desperate to handle things right.

"Is it, Grandad?" Kirsty asked curiously, bringing him back to the present.

"What d'you reckon?" Bill said, winking. "Belonged to my own Grandad, Kirst, and I heard he had to sell every single thing he owned, even his house, to pay for it."

This time Bill waited until Kane had actually gone inside the caravan, but not before Kirsty said Boot had a secret to tell him.

She pressed the toy dog against Kane's face. "Love you!" she whispered, her warm breath and Boot tickling his ear, then fell back, giggling.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

To Kane's amazement the door opened instantly and he closed it softly behind him. He'd been wondering what tale he could invent for not going inside; claiming to see a UFO would have seemed a bit lame.

Suzy Palmer was talking to Jamie in the back, playing some game, but he had to wait a while before he could chance leaving in case Kirsty and her Grandad saw him. He crept over to the window and pressed his face against the glass. They were walking down the slope, Kirsty's Grandad holding her hand, his grey head bent, listening.

Kane breathed on the window and wrote two large simple Ks with his finger, then the artist in him took over and he lost himself decorating them with loops and flourishes and curves, before he suddenly realised he should have left ages ago and jumped up - but it was too late!

"Kane!" Suzy Palmer seemed unusually edgy. "How did you get in?"

"Door was open," he shrugged, grinning at Jamie.

Suzy nodded uneasily. It wasn't like her to leave the key in the lock but Betty Thomas's words had unnerved her and her young son was a constant distraction. "Where's your brother?"

It was a funny question, Kane thought, glancing up from rolling the toy car back to Jamie to follow her gaze. Suzy Palmer was looking towards the small black purse resting on top of the television.

There wasn't much in it, this holiday had cost more than she'd intended, but it was a lot to a single Mum, enough to get her home and buy small gifts for her parents, who she still lived with and who were so good about looking after her little boy when she needed a night out. That was what this vacation was all about really, giving Mum and Dad a break, though she'd made out it was for her own and Jamie's benefit. Like on her previous two "holidays" - a couple of long weekends - Suzy had gone to bed exhausted every night. But two weeks had nearly killed her. And cost a fortune.

"I wasn't gonna take nothin'!" Kane yelled angrily, slamming the door as he left, which made him feel bad because he liked Suzy Palmer, and Jamie, who could nearly say Kane now, was shouting 'Tane, Tane!' and crying.

The wind had calmed but it was still cold by the sea and he still didn't want to go home. The gates to the kids' playground were locked but that was no problem to someone small enough to slide under the considerable gap dug out over many years by thousands of small feet passing through.

Nobody was expected to visit the playground by night and the only light was above a bronze plaque commemorating some distant ancestor of Alf Stewart's. Kane sat on the swing opposite and wondered about the long-dead guy who'd apparently provided the first recreation area, whatever that was, for the children of Summer Bay. Much, much later, the plaque said, the property developers had come along and the swings, slide and monkey ladder were added here. Kane wondered why the plaque didn't tell anyone what became of the recreation area, he'd liked to have known.

He twirled the swing round and spun himself back till he was dizzy, thinking Kirsty's words over and over. Tell Grandad, tell Grandad, tell Grandad...But the grown-ups always, always let you down in the end, always, always left you all alone when Dad came at you again, and Kirsty's Grandad could be crushed like paper...

A round bright moon broke free from a cloud and cast dozens of shadows, and every now and then a solitary breeze wailed through the waves that lapped against the shore. Scotty said the time of the full moon was when you had to really watch out for sea monsters because that was when they sucked a kid's blood before they ate him.

The giant shadow that Kane had thought was the slide could be a sea monster slithering towards him and the wail that he'd thought was the wind could be a sea monster's hungry cry. He jumped hastily off the swing and began the long run home.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kirsty began to wish she hadn't agreed to swap bunk beds with Jade for the last night, but a promise was a promise. Jade's upside-down face swung yet again from above like some avenging angel.

"How do you KNOW Boot can breathe in the pillowslip?"

"'Cos he snores," Kirsty replied, busy trying to do gymnastics that had been much easier to do on the top bunk. "He snores so loud I think it's a train!"

Jade looked at her twin doubtfully. She believed dolls and cuddly toys were real, but she was well aware Kirsty and Dani didn't. "Doesn't!" she said at last.

"Omigod, Jade!" Kirsty stopped practising forward rolls. "Have you never HEARD him?"

The avenging angel nodded uncertainly and, to Kirsty's relief, disappeared above. She hadn't wanted to share Boot with anyone except Kane but since the toy dog had mysteriously got lost under the table she'd had to tell Jade too. It wasn't so much that she minded Jade knowing, it was just Jade was behaving exactly as Kirsty knew she would. She wouldn't rest until Boot had been checked out by herself. She couldn't trust someone who didn't know he was real to look after him properly.

The upside-down face appeared again. "Abby said she doesn't believe you."

_"Ja-ade!"_

"I didn't say it, Abby did!" Jade said indignantly.

"Oh, here, catch!" Kirsty had other things on her mind tonight and Boot abruptly found himself airborne before he made a daring crash landing.

Jade screamed. "You'll kill him, Kirsty, you'll kill him!"

"It's okay, I'll get him!"

The dog had landed on the floor so close by that Kirsty need only stretch her arm very slightly to reach him. So she swung herself sideways, which made Boot completely out of her range of vision, and attempted the much more difficult manoeuvre of lifting him with her feet. "No...can't...make it..."

"Nearly, nearly..." said Jade encouragingly, kneeling on the top bunk, the thought not occurring to her either that there was a much easier way. "Left a bit, back a bit..."

"Guys! Gran and Grandad said we can wrap the prezzies before we read the stor...Kirsty, sweetie, what ARE you doing?" Dani picked up Boot, sighing. She'd told Mum on the phone last night that having two babies to look after was such hard work and if she hadn't known better she'd have sworn Shelley was laughing.

Kirsty sighed herself. "Jade's gonna mind Boot, just for tonight."

"Can I?" Jade's face lit up.

"Yeh, I guess, but you better take REAL good care of him." her twin smiled.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Somehow he didn't want to chance knocking on the door. The wooden crate was under the wide open kitchen window. Kane dragged it nearer and tumbled inside the darkened room. There was the sound of breathing, a shuffling movement in the corner. The moonlight caught a flash of silver and he realised in terror his father was sitting there.

"Been waitin' for ya, son," Richie said in a slow, menacing voice. "See, I owe ya for gettin' oil on me new clobber."

"I didn't, I didn't!" Kane struggled to make sense of the accusation, backing away.

Richie clicked on the light. He had some kind of metal chain, the flash of silver, folded round his knuckles. "Jeez, son, ain'cha ya got oil all over ya?"

Kane looked down in confusion at his hands and clothes stained by the black paint from colouring in the ship and the brown rust from spinning on the swing.

"Dad, I didn't!"

Dad's expression didn't change. And he was drunk. Running was always the only option. He made for the door. Then the sharpness cut into his back and warm, sticky blood seeped through his shirt.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The Sleeping Beauty giftwrap that Dani and Jade had chosen, and the Jungle Book giftwrap that Kirsty and Kane had chosen, were mixed up on the table with the holiday prezzies of trinkets, lollies and chocolates. Dani and Gran were laughing because Jade had managed to sellotape a prezzie to her elbow.

"Jade, if you put the dog down for a minute, you'd be able to wrap better," Gran said.

"I can't, 'cos Boot's still upset 'bout his fall." Jade looked guiltily at Abby, whom she'd had to abandon beside her.

It was like the magic of Xmas and normally Kirsty loved Xmas, but she slid herself out of her seat to where Grandad was unzipping the small bag in the hunt for Uncle Pete's missing gift.

"Grandad, will Kane be okay?" she whispered the words. Kane was so sad about something. Kirsty had an idea that Gran and Grandad understood but for some reason they couldn't tell Dani or Jade.

"No worries, pet." Bill hugged his granddaughter.

He could only hope he would be or that it would turn out Kane was simply accident prone like Kirsty. Try and gain his trust, Shelley had advised when they'd spoken last night, and, whatever you do, get Suzy Palmer's address.

Kane had clammed up when they'd asked him about his home life, but it was good he was telling them little bits about school. Good that he was opening up to Kirsty. Who clung to her Grandad's hug, remembering Kane's chocolate kiss.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Dad had gone. Kane slowly made his way to the kitchen sink and chucked up.

Through the open window the soothing rippling of the sea and gentle sigh of the wind could be heard. Down by the bay couples strolled in the moonlight or stopped to gaze at the starlit sky.

It was a beautiful night, so beautiful, so calm a night, as one little kid turned on the tap and put his mouth to the running cold water with tears streaming down his face.

**CHAPTER 14**

In the distance the blue sea sparkled in the sunlight and a ship sailed leisurely across the water. Nearer inland the surfers would be riding the waves, taking advantage of the wind that was rustling the garden trees, but the myriad of buildings and streets inbetween blocked an actual view of the beach.

Kane dropped the dusty bedroom curtain. His luck was holding and Scotty was still fast asleep, giving out neat, rhythmic snores, the duvet pulled almost completely over his head, not even stirring when his younger brother had nearly toppled the dresser while experimentally seeing if the bottom drawer would still take his weight.

Kane sighed again at the washbasket. Getting washed had been difficult and soap had stung the cuts. Clothes were another problem. Nobody was doing any laundry since Mum left and, though he'd discovered some long forgotten shorts caught at the back of the dresser drawer, he couldn't find any more clean-ish shirts among the pile of worn stuff he and Scott had been flinging on the floor beside the overflowing basket. Looking out of the window hadn't made everything wash and fold itself. Yesterday's T-shirt was still blood-stained.

He shivered as he remembered creeping up the stairs to bed, crying with pain as he peeled off the shirt, Scotty throwing a shoe at him because he'd woken him up.

Scott yelled he'd really have something to whinge about tomorrow because Mum was coming home then and, so Scott somehow reckoned, all the dirty washing was Kane's. Kane had mixed feelings about Mum's return. She didn't beat up on him all the time like Dad and Scott did, and occasionally she even did stuff like make his lunch for school or put cream on his sunburnt neck, but when she slapped him she slapped him hard and he knew she didn't like him much.

He stole another wary glance at his brother. Scotty had hardly moved so Kane looked through the washbasket some more, finally settling on a T-shirt that was more ripped than stained, and pulling it over his head. This was it. After last night, he was never coming back.

Kirsty said her Grandad would make everything alright and Kane had never trusted anyone like he trusted Kirsty.

Sixteen steps down the threadbare carpet with its faded squiggly patterns, his heart beating so loud he was convinced it would wake Dad, who was still downstairs sleeping off the booze. He skipped the third from top stair, the one that always creaked, and froze and held his breath for a while when he imagined he heard a movement. If Dad knew he was gonna tell someone he'd kill him for sure! But all was quiet and so he moved on.

Richie Phillips never remembered to lock the front door when he was drunk. Kane stretched to unsnip the safety catch, clenching his teeth because his back still hurt, and closed the door soundlessly behind him. He was free.

Kane must think he came down in the last shower! Scott, who'd been wide awake for a while, jumped out of bed, fully clothed, thinking he deserved a Logie for his snores. Kane would learn never to stuff up again. Bike or no bike, it was payback day.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Okay, Jade, wave, cheese!"

Bill positioned the camera, his voice echoing around the almost empty swimming pool. It was the final day of the season, when the caravan site closed down for a week while major cleaning and essential maintenance work was done, and most people were packing for home.

Jade kept both hands firmly on the large fish-shaped float, looking puzzled. "I haven't got any cheese!"

"You don't need cheese," Dani said.

"But Grandad said to wave the cheese!"

"No, he said wave, please!" Kirsty came up from the blurry, sound distorted world of swimming underwater to catch her breath, unaware she was constantly startling the lifeguard who'd never before known a kid as young so fearless in the water.

Jade was even more baffled. "But I'm not going yet - am I?"

Dani smiled patiently. "Jade, Grandad didn't say 'wave, please', he said..."

"Dani, you don't know everything!" Kirsty argued. "Grandad, what did you say?"

"Oh, Jeez!" Bill couldn't stop laughing.

"Told you, cheese!" Jade announced triumphantly.

"Bill!" Mary frowned, finally emerging from the changing rooms, having got the girls ready first. She hated her grandkids to hear even the mildest of swear words and she was forever having to tick off Kane.

"So-orry," Bill grinned, his coughing fit having more to do with amusement than his asthma. The heat was affecting his breathing today, which was why he'd decided not to go in the pool. He reached into his pocket for a hanky to wipe away the tears of laughter and the camera slipped from his fingers and fell into the water with a gentle, mocking splash.

Mary sighed. "Well, at least we've still got the first roll of film!"

"Or we wouldn't have any pictures of Kane," Kirsty added, retrieving the soaking wet camera. "Grandad, is it time to go and see if Kane's okay yet?"

Bill automatically went to check the old-fashioned pocket-watch before remembering he'd left it in the caravan in case it got dropped in the pool. And now, in an ironic twist, the camera was ruined instead.

"Soon," he said. "And I'm sure he will be, Kirst."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Forty years. Forty years happiness running the general store then the Phillips family came along and destroyed it all in seconds.

Betty Thomas wandered around the caravan site, an anonymous figure among the noise and bustle of people leaving for home, but that was the way she wanted it, the reason she'd worn the sunnies and pulled the sunhat down over her face.

She gazed at the burnt-out shell of the shop that she and Tom had loved. They had come to the Bay from New Zealand as newlyweds and had never become parents like they'd hoped, but the caravan site had grown around the shop and the little shop itself had grown up into a larger premises, and every child that ever came inside for lollies or just to say g'day they loved like their own. Until the Phillips kids.

The family, the father and mother both heavy drinkers, had moved into the rough end of Summer Bay when their eldest son was about six and just days later Scott had first strolled into the store to help himself.

Remonstrating with his parents proved useless. Anyone who ever crossed the Phillips or got the police involved was beaten up or had property trashed. By the time the youngest son was attempting to walk off with more bars of chocolate than he could even carry, the elderly couple were resigned to the mouthfuls of abuse and even Scott's kicking and punching when he was caught. Kane never seemed quite as cold as Scott, but even so Kane had been the one to take the stealing to a more serious level when he took the money. That was when Betty finally decided enough was enough. The fire was the result. The police had charged two men with arson and attempted robbery but Betty knew Richie Phillips was behind it all.

Forty years and on her last day she was creeping round like a common crim. But it had to be this way. She would warn the Sutherlands, like she'd warned Suzy Palmer, then she would leave, telling no one her forwarding address so that Richie Phillips would never be able to trace her and take revenge. She took a final sad look at the shop she had loved before turning towards the Sutherlands caravan.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kane was early. Half an hour early, he realised, catching sight of the time on Bill Sutherland's pocket watch that was ticking loudly away on a shelf. The pool opened at eight and they'd be about an hour, Bill Sutherland had said.

But somehow it was like they were already here.

The pocket watch ticking away like Kirsty's Grandad was just at the other end of the caravan. Abby sitting importantly at the table, a plastic cup from Jade's toy tea-set filled with milk and placed before her. Dani's personal stereo and a couple of music tapes slung nearby as if she'd just been listening to some songs. Kirsty's Gran's handbag, crammed with old photos because she remembered her own parents losing everything in a bushfire many years ago, left on the seat. Kane couldn't see Boot, but that was only because he would be safely tucked up in Kirsty's pillowslip.

Lollies, potato chips and cartons of drinks were on the table ready for the homeward journey. Some dollar bills lay next to the watch (no one was ever dill enough to leave money on show in Kane's house, but Kirsty's Gran and Grandad did lots of strange things like never hitting the kids and talking to each other without ever shouting). He looked at the prezzies, wrapped in Jungle Book and Sleeping Beauty paper, which were packed in a bag on the floor, trying to remember what they'd bought and seeing if he could guess what each package was.

Then the door opened and he turned with a grin for Kirsty. But it wasn't Kirsty.

"G'day, Kane!" Scott said.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Kirsty, pet, slow down!"

Bill was mopping his brow and fighting for every breath as he hurried to keep up with his granddaughter and he had just had to apologise when Kirsty crashed into someone, sending luggage flying.

"But it's Kane, Grandad!"

Kirsty didn't care how many people she crashed into. They could fall like skittles if it meant she got to her bestest mate. Gran, Jade and Dani had been unbearably slow about getting out of the water and in the end Grandad had agreed to go on ahead with Kirsty. Her hair was still wet and her top was on back-to-front, but it was Kane. She broke into a run.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

They'd stolen from caravans before. It was easy. People were in and out with luggage on their first or last day, forgetting stuff, running round after their kids, collecting deposits, ringing home. All you had to do was try for unlocked doors and if the van wasn't empty after all you put on the little-kid-lost act. The last day of the season was always the most profitable, any caravan would do. But not this one. Kane had pleaded but Scotty wouldn't listen and kept his arm round his neck so he couldn't run. And Scott wanted more...

Something crunched underfoot as Scott tipped the contents of Mary Sutherland's handbag on the table. He glanced down. Nothing important, a roll of film had fallen out. He scattered the cosmetics and old photos, pocketing the loose change and a couple of dollar bills.

"I'm not _askin_' ya, ya drongo. I'm _tellin' _ya." The day of his first cigarette Scott had pictured riding away on the bike, looking back at the blaze, the satisfaction of knowing Kane's new best buddies would have nothing more to do with him once Kane had torched their stuff "'cos he was real mad they were going back home" as Scott would tell the cops. And all he'd had to do in the last coupla weeks was get Kane scared enough and Kane was looking real scared right now. "You know what'll happen if ya don't."

There was no bike like in the original plan, but in the original plan he hadn't figured out how they were gonna get in the caravan either. Things had worked out even better than he'd hoped.

Dad had bashed Kane last night so he hadn't been moving too fast when Scotty easily followed him down to the site and the unlocked, obviously deserted van. And he wouldn't need the bike after all, the nearby caravans had already emptied so there were no witnesses, no one to question Scott's version of events, that Kane had wanted to smoke, which was why they were there with the matches and Dad's half-full packet of fags.

Scotty had the same cold, hard stare of Richie Phillips as he rattled the box of matches. And he wanted so much to be like his Dad, to have people afraid of him like Mrs Thomas had been afraid.

"You know it's this or The Dark. And if you don't do this, then I will, but you'll still get the blame only you get to cop a bashing as well as The Dark."

Except for when Dad locked him in the cupboard under the stairs, Kane had never been so scared in his life. Even Dad hitting him with the bike chain or throwing him downstairs wasn't as terrifying as The Dark. Nothing in the world was as terrifying as The Dark.

And it was The Dark ...Or it was Boot, Abby, Dani's music, Kirsty's Grandad's watch, Kirsty's Gran's photos...

It was everything they ever loved. Or it was The Dark. There was no other way out.

"Okay," he agreed at last

Scott let him go, grinning. "See? Easy deal."

There was only one thing he could do. And he was terrified of The Dark. Kane dejectedly took the matches.

**CHAPTER 15**

Jeez, what did the drongo think he was doing? He had Buckley's of getting away when he could hardly even walk fast, let alone run, after Dad's bashing!

Scott had been caught totally off guard when Kane opened the door and fled, but he had no intention of leaving the caravan empty-handed. He quickly swept everything he could into the bag with the prezzies - his hand was on the personal stereo when he looked up again and realised, despite the obvious pain, Kane was determinedly picking up speed. Oh, was he sure gonna pay and pay good for this! Scott would drag him back, make him light the fire and then he was gonna /-/-/-/- kill him!

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Everything he and Kirsty said a few days before was in his mind as he ran...

They were fooling on the low wall that surrounded the little shop garden when they were chased away by a grown-up who reminded them they shouldn't be playing somewhere dangerous and then, when Kane swore at him, to Kirsty's delight, angrily asked what the hell did they think the safety barriers had been put there for?

That was when they'd run, thrilling to the buzz of danger, the freedom of the wind in their hair, the sun on their backs, laughter shared, hands joined, fingers locked, together as one.

When they finally stopped, Kirsty leaned on his shoulder to kick off her shoe.

"Ya hurt yourself?"

"I banged my foot," she replied, rubbing her heel.

Kane looked down. "It's cut bad."

"Yeh, well, I'm not gonna cry."

"You should put it in cold water, it'll stop the bleeding."

"Yeh, like where? If we go back to the caravan now, Gran and Grandad might say its time for you to go back."

"You could wash it in the puddle in the garden."

"Cool!" Kirsty said, her face lighting up.

The site gardener had dug a hole in the shop garden ready to plant something but then there'd been the fire, and water from the fire engine hosepipes and then rain had flowed into the sheltered spot behind the garden wall. They'd been floating ice popsicle sticks there earlier, pretending they were ships racing on the ocean, and returning meant danger and the added thrill of risking running into the guy who'd told them off.

"Ahhh!" Kirsty said, putting her foot in the puddle as she held on to Kane, shocked to find the water unexpectedly icy cold. "Kane, what if that guy comes back? I won't be able to run fast!"

"No worries. I'll throw stones at a window or something, make him follow me while ya get away."

She looked at him, smiling her magic smile. "Are you never scared?"

Jeez, where to start? Of his Dad, of Scotty bashing him, of Mum when she she acted like a fruitcake, of official people visiting the house, of everything being ten times worse after they'd gone, of being locked outside, of being thrown downstairs, of Dad's fist smashing into his face...

But all that was home. That was a world so horrific he blocked it from his mind unless he was actually there. "Nah, 'course not!"

"Me neither!" Then her words ran into each other, like always when Kirsty had something on her mind. "Though I get scared when Jade or Dani are scared or sad, or any of my family or my friends, 'cos I don't know what to do so it makes me cry, like I'm scared 'cos I don't know why you're sad and I cry."

"Don't cry for me, Kirst."

"But I don't know why you're scared."

He shrugged. Kirsty was too special to see the nightmares that haunted his eyes night after night. "I'm REAL scared of The Dark."

...the sun scorching down, Scotty, who'd been almost up to him for a while now, nearly close enough to touch him, reaching, cursing, his fingertips brushing his wrist, a fraction of a second too late, as Kane leaned over the wall and tipped the contents of the matchbox into the puddle, watching with satisfaction as matchsticks trickled down the water and trapped themselves in mud, the empty box slung defiantly after them.

Now Scott couldn't burn anything. Kirsty would still have Boot. Jade would have Abby. Dani kept her music, Kirsy's Gran her photos, Kirsty's Grandad his watch. None of them got hurt and it was a good feeling, knowing none of those guys, especially Kirsty, got hurt.

Scott swung him fiercely round. Breathlessly, he looked up in terror at the anger in his brother's eyes and felt the weight of his fist in his jaw.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Kirsty, we have to go see Kane's Mum first!"

Kirsty pretended she couldn't hear and Bill had no choice but to follow her down to their own caravan. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. He could make sure Kane was there and from subtle questioning gage what mood Suzy was in.

The caravans had to be vacated by ten but Suzy Palmer's bus wasn't leaving until much later so she'd been pleased when the Sutherlands suggested they meet in the coffee bar, unaware of their plans.

Bill intended to call round, to tell her Kane was with the girls and he'd give a hand carrying her luggage down, Mary would follow on later. Then he would carefully lead the conversation round to how difficult kids could be at times, how Shelley could help. The plan would have to be altered slightly now Kirsty was with him, but at the coffee bar he could send her for an OJ and if...he broke off from his chain of thoughts, startled by what was happening at the caravan.

The door to 179 had been left wide open and several items were strewn nearby. Kirsty was running up and down the steps, in and out, as if upset about something, or someone, perhaps the plump woman in the sunhat who stood there.

Bill walked more quickly, each breath more strained, the heat draining him. When he finally reached them, the woman's words didn't make sense. None of it made any sense. As if in a dream, he picked up a gift wrapped in torn Jungle Book paper, the Summer Bay calender that they'd bought for the girls' other grandparents, and retrieved the gold pocket watch that was lying next to the steps, glinting in the sunlight.

"I thought they'd probably been stealing again," Betty Thomas sighed, shaking her head, "when I saw them both running away together."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Scott! Scotty! Ya there?"

"Shut it!" Scott growled, looking through a gap in the brickwork of the condemned shop, wishing he could see 179. Funny, he'd never seen any of those guys close up but that was all to the good. He'd never recognise any of them again but they'd never recognise him again and Scotty didn't want to be recognised.

He glanced at the bag. He didn't want to get caught with the stolen stuff either, which meant he'd have to hang round here ages. Pity. It'd serve Kane right if he left him to sweat inside the locked storeroom, especially since chasing after him had caused Scott to drop several things, including the expensive-looking watch. But he'd fool him into pretending he'd gone.

"Scott, I can't see!" Kane spat out a couple of teeth that had been knocked loose by the punch, accidentally swallowing blood, as the terrifying darkness closed in around him.

"Tough, learn to /-/-/-/- survive like I had to!" Scott replied, turning the rusty storeroom key round in his palm. "I gotta go now. I might come back, I might not."

"Scotty!" Kane yelled, hurling himself against the strong wooden door. "Scotty, you come back!"

Scott sat silently, screwing up his eyes to try and make out what was going on outside, totally ignoring the racket. He could sit like this for hours if he had to. He'd done it dozens of times before, hiding and listening to Mum and Dad throwing furniture and punches at each other, without anyone even suspecting he was in the house.

The nearest caravan, where one of the last homeward bound cars was pulling out, was a hell of a distance away. There was no reason for anyone to come by the shop. Nothing to do but wait and listen to Kane, who was sounding more and more scared every minute.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to come back to this!" Diane Phillips looked round in disgust at the filthy kitchen. Dirty dishes were everywhere, the cooker and floor were smeared with grease and there was a nauseating smell of rotting food.

Richie dodged the plate that flew towards him and it rattled to the floor where it smashed into four large pieces.

"One less to wash," he observed.

"I don't think it's /-/-/-/- funny!"

A fork followed the plate, this time hitting his palm as he raised a hand to stop it.

"C'mon, Di, you know ya came back because ya love me." Richie caught her wrist as she lifted another fork, smiling the smile that Sheilas found irresistible. Diane paused, laughing, and kissed him.

He'd been too soft for too long, that was the trouble, Richie thought. In a man's home his word should be law. Yet look what happened here. His wife took his money and shot through. Kane splashed oil on his new clothes. Scott just did what the hell he liked.

There were gonna be changes. Big changes He would keep Di sweet for now, he needed someone to cook, clean, do the laundry. But he was sick of her whinging. He would grind her down. Gradually, over time, so that she would never dare leave again. And it would be as it should be in a man's home, with the strongest at the top and the weakest at the bottom.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Help!" Kane roared, his fists flailing against the door. But the only sound was the blood rushing through his ears like the sound of the sea. And The Dark was swallowing him so he couldn't breathe and all he could see was the blackness and all he could feel was a red hot pain down the side of his face where Scott had punched him. His arms couldn't fight any more and fell uselessly to his side. Then the dark washed over him and plunged him into its terrifying nothingness.

/**CHAPTER 16**

"No, Grandad!" Kirsty said emphatically.

Bill wished he didn't believe it either but the facts were staring him in the face. The watch that he'd jokingly told Kane was worth a fortune had been dropped by the thieves. Inside the caravan, left with an unlocked door for Kane, cash was gone, Dani's personal stereo on the edge of the table with the earphones hanging down from the trailing wire, Mary's handbag turned upside-down with the precious photographs thrown on the floor. It had to be kids, nobody else would have bothered to take inexpensive holiday trinkets or the lollies, potato chips and drinks meant for the long drive home.

"Kane and Scott had a bag with them when they ran past me." Betty Thomas spoke quietly, bitterly, her voice catching with emotion. "Those boys, they'll end up just like their father, already they lie, they fight, they cheat, they steal. I've seen Kane and your granddaughter, both of them causing trouble, breaking the water sprinklers, swearing, giving cheek."

"No, Grandad!" Kirsty said again, her hand tightly gripping the caravan steps as if for support. It wasn't like Mrs Thomas said, it was something far, far deeper, something in Kane's eyes, but Kirsty didn't know how to explain it. .

The heat had exhausted Bill and his breath was laboured. He sat on the steps and pulled Kirsty reassuringly towards him. "But Kane seems to get hurt a lot," he said. "If his Mum's lashing out..."

Betty snorted. "I don't know what lies he's been telling you, but he'll have been in yet another fight! Kane and Scott often beat up on the other boys. That is, when they're not too busy trashing property or stealing! They were always stealing from my shop. Tom and I tried to stop it but their father would only come round making his threats. Tom's heart was weak, it gave out in the end."

She swallowed a sob and had to draw a breath before she spoke again. "That family destroys everything and everyone. This is my last day here and thanks to Kane and Scott my last memories of the caravan park will be unhappy ones. Thanks to them, the shop no longer..."

Betty turned abruptly, tears filling her eyes. She had nearly told Bill Sutherland it was Richie Phillips who arranged for the shop to be burnt down and she must never tell that to anyone, not even her sister. So much as a whisper and sooner or later Richie would discover where she was, perhaps even kill her. There was a rumour he'd once killed a man in a drunken fight but had walked free from court because no one dared testify. No, she had done what she had set out to do. Betty couldn't trust herself to say any more. She walked away quickly, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead, though her vision was blurred by tears.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Omigod, what happened?"

Suzy Palmer abruptly snapped out of her daydream. Suzy was on her way back from handing in the buggy she'd hired for Jamie and she'd told him they had plenty of time to kill so they would take the long way back, but now she wondered if her small son not only understood but was being funny. He walked at a snail's pace, constantly stopped to stare at passing planes, birds and people, very carefully studied an army of ants marching through the grass, climbed the steps of almost every single caravan, and staged two lone sit-down protests about not being carried. At this rate they'd be lucky of they made it back to their own caravan by next week.

But then Suzy herself had stopped and stared on the last occasion and it was this that caused her to be so deep in thought. Betty Thomas had been throwing some last bits of luggage in her car and Suzy had spoken to her. Three times. The old lady had deliberately ignored her. Suzy was still trying to figure out what she'd done.

Kirsty ran to her. She looked like she'd been crying. Maybe she was upset about her grandad who was breathing into an inhaler.

"Where's Kane?" she demanded.

"I don't know, Kirst. Why?" Suzy spoke gently though she was slightly irritated. What was it with the Sutherlands and Kane?

Bill spoke slowly as the air came back into his lungs. "Suzy, I'm afraid Betty Thomas had some pretty harsh things to say about your son."

"My son...?" Suzy protectively lifted Jamie into her arms though he was in the middle of pushing his way past Bill to climb the caravan steps.

"No, not Jamie. Your other son. Well, both your other kids. Kane and Scott."

"Kane and Scott? They're not my kids! Whatever made you think that?"

Jamie was wriggling and yelling "Tirsty, help!" and Suzy ruffled his hair and set him down again. "I've no idea who Kane's folks are. I guess the only one who can tell us that is Mrs Thomas and when I passed her just now I got the impression she was leaving for good."

"...and Abby had better drunk her milk or she'll be crook. Gran, I can nearly swim now! I'm getting real good at dancing and real good at swimming." Jade hadn't stopped talking, mostly about Abby, since the swimming pool, and she breathlessly continued the conversation while she and Dani danced their way back, ignoring the people who had had scatter to make way for them. But it was their turn to scatter when someone suddenly hurtled towards them.

"Kirsty!" Dani called in bewilderment.

Without a word, Jade stopped in mid dance step, did an abrupt U-turn and ran after her twin.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kirsty knew exactly where Mrs Thomas's caravan was. She remembered seeing her face at the window the day she and Kane had had the screaming contest. Sure enough, the old lady's dark blue car, gleaming in the sunlight, was pulling away from the caravan onto the narrow strip of road that led to the exit.

"Stop!" Kirsty yelled urgently. "You've got to stop!"

Betty saw the little girl through the wing mirror, but she pressed her foot down, sweeping smoothly towards the park exit. It was for the best. She had warned the Sutherlands and Suzy Palmer about Kane and she had done it without once mentioning the name Phillips. When, and if, they ever found out who Kane was she would be safely on the plane to New Zealand, the car picked up from the airport by the garage owner she had agreed a price with, her luggage gone on ahead. Richie Phillips would never trace her. Provided she got away from this wild child tearing down the coast road after her, screaming for her to stop.

At the picturesque bend that took the traffic out of Summer Bay, the dark blue car disappeared into the distance.

With the tears streaming down her face, Kirsty looked down the quiet sand-dusted coast road towards the timeless sea stretching endlessly across the horizon. Now she would never know what became of her bestest mate. All because of a mean old woman who didn't see what Kirsty saw in those sparkling blue eyes, who didn't care about the strange aching round Kirsty's heart.

"I hate you," she said, over and over to the sea. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..."

Even when Suzy, who'd left Jamie with the Sutherlands, finally caught up with her, followed by Dani and Jade, she couldn't stop the tears or the chant or the aching.

"Sweetie," Dani said, putting her hand on Kirsty's shoulder like she thought Shelley would do.

"Hey, c'mon, Kirst," Suzy said uncertainly.

"We need Abby! We need Boot!" Jade made it sound like a request for the SES as she turned to Suzy with two large tears of sympathy spilling over each eye.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Kane was good with Jamie," Suzy said, rattling her empty cup back into its saucer and tenderly stroking Jamie's forehead. No one would dream a demon lurked behind the angelic sleeping face. "He said he had two younger brothers, Jordan and Luke, but Betty Thomas told me that wasn't true, there was just him and Scott. He seemed a nice kid. I didn't believe Betty when she said they stole from the caravans, not until I caught him sneaking round, then when they took what they took from yours..." she shook her head.

Few holidaymakers were left in the coffee bar now, just those who, like Suzy, were waiting for the bus to pick them up from the park. Of course, they'd asked about Kane, but nobody knew any more than they did. Apart from the man who was still angry he was sworn at when he'd told the kids not to play by the condemned shop and a couple who'd seen Kane and Scott running away just before they discovered money missing from their van.

It looked like Kane and his family had long left for home. Kirsty had finally cried herself inconsollably to sleep leaning against her Grandad's chest.

Bill sighed heavily. "For such a little guy, Kane told a lot of tall stories."

"Grandad! We forgot Abby so the man in the funny shirt with the spare key's going to take us and Gran back!" Dani announced.

"Sssh!" Bill indicated the two sleeping kids and Dani nodded.

"Okay, Grandad!" she said in what she fondly imagined was a whisper, making Jamie and several other people jump.

Ernie Hopkins, aka the man in the funny shirt with the spare key, aka the odd job man, looked at Dani impassively. His wife hadn't liked the bright, bold-patterned shirt either, not even when he'd bought it back in the Seventies, but Ernie did and it still fitted so he was going to wear it.

He'd got the shock of his life when the kid called Jade had burst into Reception screaming they'd left the baby behind. All credit to the kid though, the rest of the family might look concerned about forgetting something as important as a baby, but she was genuinely distressed.

So it was Jade he tried to reassure as they, the grandmother and the kid who didn't like the shirt jumped into the truck.

"Abby will be so scared on her own," Jade said in a tight, choked voice, sniffling back tears. "And she'll be hungry."

Ernie's heart lurched. "I'm sure your Gran'll make her a nice fresh bottle. You just help make sure Abby drinks it, you got me worried what you said about Abby not drinking her milk."

Jade nodded, stoked to finally meet somebody else who realised Abby was a real person. Ernie tried to keep her spirits up talking about Abby as Jade sat in the front seat beside him, Mary and Dani at the back. He couldn't understand why the kids' Gran insisted it wasn't an emergency and Abby would be fine.

As soon as they got to the caravan, Ernie heroically jumped out of the truck, quickly unlocked the door, sped inside and thankfully snatched up the tiny bundle tightly wrapped in a white woollen shawl.

"She's okay, guys!" he cried.

"You saved her, you saved her!" Jade was dancing with delight.

"It's...a.._.doll_..." Ernie said in sudden realisation.

"Um...I tried to tell you," Mary said.

Dani was still staring at the shirt.

It was Ernie Hopkins, in the bright, bold-patterned shirt, who watched the last of the holidaymakers leave, the little family group who waved off the pretty girl and small boy boarding the bus before getting into their own car.

The elderly man checked the time on a gold pocket watch. His wife in the passenger seat had her handbag in her lap and was sorting out some old photos. The kid with the rescued doll was jabbering happily away to the older girl who couldn't hear because she was singing along to her music headphones. But it was the other kid who caught Ernie's attention. She looked back time and time again and each time the sadness in her face dipped a little further. Finally she climbed reluctantly into the car.

She held what looked like a small toy dog to her tear-stained face.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kane got slowly to his feet, still feeling dizzy, the blood still rushing through his ears like the sound of the sea. He'd passed out. It sometimes happened when Dad or Scott punched him real hard. The darkness surrounded him like floating black water, but he wasn't afraid anymore.

He had done this for the kid with the magic smile and he would do anything for the kid with the magic smile. Climb mountains. Run around the world. Fetch her the moon and stars. But he didn't know how long he'd been locked inside the storeroom or how long it would be before he got out. All he knew was alone now and he had to learn to fight alone. When Scotty finally opened the door he never knew what hit him.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Night fell and silent stars shone down over the city. Kirsty gazed through the window at the stars with tears glistening on her cheeks. Kane was somewhere out there under that vast sky.

Remembering her own first crush Shelley put her arm round her little daughter's shoulders. "It'll be okay, sweetie," she whispered.

There was a deep sigh from behind.

"Jade! I can't read you a bedtime story when you're sleeping on the floor!"

"But, Dani, I've got to sleep on the floor!" Jade wailed. "There's no room in my bed!"

"How about you take out the three dolls and eleven cuddly toys then?" Rhys suggested, trying not to laugh.

Home was warm and safe.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Night fell and silent stars shone down over Summer Bay.

Kane gazed up at the stars with tears glistening on his cheeks. Kirsty was somewhere out there under that vast sky.

But the kid with the magic smile had gone from his life now, like the woman cop who'd seemed okay, like Frank Rimmer, like Kirsty's Gran and Grandad, like everybody he'd ever reached to. For a long time afterwards he would wonder about Kirsty. Till the reality of his life intruded, the beatings, neglect, and loneliness, and the memories of a bestest mate began to fade.

The last tears he would ever cry for his childhood were wiped away on the sleeve of thin pyjamas He would never tell anyone his dream of captaining his own ship or of the pictures made from stars or of Summer Bay rain spreading to the oceans. Surviving meant he couldn't be a sook anymore.

Back in through the kitchen window then, quickly, quietly, listening to Mum and Dad cursing and punching each other, looking warily about in case Scotty was around to dob him in, staying one step ahead, trusting no one.

Home was cold and bleak.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

And so they grew. And with the years the memories melted and were gone like chocolate kisses.

The girls were teenagers and Rhys' parents had both since died when the Sutherlands bought the caravan park. It had changed greatly. There were far fewer caravans and none of the family caravans remained. Families nowadays went to the popular Yabbie Creek holiday camps and hotels and it was younger people, come for the Bay's water sports, who booked caravans. The swimming pool, coffee bar and shop had all been demolished, and while the swings still stood they were no more than a small area on the edge of the park.

Kirsty, Jade and Dani knew their grandparents had brought them to Summer Bay when they were small, but there were no photos to remind them - the camera had fallen into water and another reel of film had been trodden on - and none of them remembered very much about it.

Dani had a vague recollection of the car sweeping into the bend by the caravan park and of playing dancing on the beach with the twins. Jade thought she remembered going back for a doll - though her Gran told the story so often Jade couldn't be sure if it was her own memory or not. Oh, but Kirsty!

The dream often came back. It was always the same. She was standing breathlessly looking out towards the timeless turquoise sea and every fibre of her being was filled with hatred because Kane had been torn away from her forever.

Then she would wake, still screaming _I hate you, _with fresh tears on her face and with a fresh aching in her heart. But gradually the dreams too began to fade. One day Boot was put somewhere and somehow never picked up again, night turned to day and then to night again, and the years passed by and took their secrets with them.

But perhaps chocolate kisses leave a flavour, and perhaps some memories never die, but only sleep...

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Help!" Kane roared, his fists flailing against the waves.

But the only sound was the sound of the sea. And the dark was swallowing him so he couldn't breathe and all he could see was the blackness and all could feel was a red hot pain down the side of his face where he'd banged himself as the Mirigini went down.

His arms couldn't fight anymore and fell uselessly to his side and the dark washed over him and plunged him into its terrifying nothingness.

But he'd had to fight alone ever since he was a small kid and, despite the injury, he had to fight now. His head bobbed back down into the sea and he swallowed more water, but there was a figure out there on the land, his only hope. He pushed himself again and the sea fought back again, yet the figure didn't move. Maybe it was his imagination. Maybe this was what it was like to die.

With the sound of the sea and a feeling that there had once been another time when it had been so dark and he had loved someone with a love that ran so deep, deeper than an ocean.

Kirsty watched with sea spray on her face. At least, she thought it was sea spray, it could have been tears. But why would she cry for Kane Phillips? He was far away, too far away to reach, but why should she care? He had destroyed the whole family, especially Dani, and Kirsty hated him so much for what he'd done to Dani.

She found herself saying it over and over as she stared out towards the sea, "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..."

The words lost themselves in the sound of the sea and a long ago dream suddenly came back, of a time when she'd looked out towards the endless sea and hated someone with a hatred that ran so deep, deeper than an ocean.

Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe all her life had been leading to this moment.

The moment she watched Kane Phillips drown.

**CHAPTER 17**

She took a step towards the sea. White foamy surf ran over her feet. It was insanity. Plunge herself into the water and she put herself in danger too. What was the point of both of them dying?

Walk away, walk away quickly, and she would be safe and Kane Phillips gone forever. Out of their lives. It was his own fault if he drowned. What kind of dill grew up in Oz, especially in a seaside town, and never learnt to be a strong swimmer? Sea spray, it WAS sea spray stinging her eyes, she could tell because it tasted of salt when it ran down her face, hatred burning through her, it WAS hatred, she could tell because it was a tugging pain all round her heart, she whisped "Walk away, Kirsty Sutherland", even as her shoulders touched the cold turquoise waters. Why, why, why was she doing this? Why was she swimming towards the boy she despised?

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Her first day at Summer Bay High. Shafts of bright of sunlight stream in through the window, catching out the dust on the rickety old desk outside the caretaker's door, spinning intricate patterns on to the walls.

The bell's tinny echo still rings in her ears and she marvels that the crowds of students can have dispersed so quickly. She watches passively, not yet part of this frantic pace of life. The small group of boys gathered by the window have ignored the bell too. The boy in the centre half sits, half leans on the narrow window ledge, guffawing loudly about something.

Nicole Ross, the tall, skinny, serious girl who's been asked to take the twins to see the school secretary, hesitates and nervously pushes her dark hair behind her ears.

"What's wrong?" Jade whispers, puzzled.

"That lot," Nicole answers, frowning. "I don't know why they ever bother coming to school."

The boy on the window ledge looks up on hearing her voice but the sarcastic comment somehow never breathes air. He looks instead at Kirsty. For a fleeting second, in a heartbeat it's gone, she sees someone else in the blue of his eyes.

Don Fisher stops by the group. He speaks authoritavely, refusing to be intimidated, but he IS afraid, especially of the boy with the sparkling blue eyes, the boy who crashes down the lid of the rickety old desk as they move away, making Fisher jump involuntarily, the boy who smiles sneeringly and slows down when Fisher angrily tells him to hurry.

"Drongo!" Nicole mutters scornfully, and Jade nods agreement.

But he glances back for a moment and looks again at Kirsty.

"Who was that?" she asks.

"Kane Phillips," Nicole says. "The biggest dropkick in the whole school."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

But there had been again that look in his eyes when he glanced back.

Maybe that was the reason she was stupidly, stupidly, stupidly reaching for him now when the world would be a better place if Kane Phillips died ...

He was vaguely aware of Kirsty Sutherland swimming towards him. The pretty chick who had looked at him like she could see right through him that day sitting against the ledge. Something had made him glance back and it was there again. Like she saw he wasn't so tough.

It had thrown him because he hadn't let his guard slip once since he was a little kid. No one knew he sometimes walked alone along the wharf by night, just to listen to the whispering of the sea and make pictures from the stars and dream still the childhood dream of sailing away on one of the boats that bobbed on the moonlit water.

He didn't know where else to go to escape for just a little while. He'd even gone there to cry when Mum had died because Dad and Scott said tears were for the weak. Cirrhosis of the liver, they wrote on the death certificate. It was more than that, but what would they know? Her beatings had ended. His still went on. Even after Dad died, falling down drunk and fatally banging his head in some cheap, crowded late bar, the beatings went on because Scott got angry if he didn't do as he wanted.

Large ugly scars were streaked across his back, the reason he rarely went swimming, a permanent shameful reminder of how he hadn't fought back hard enough. It was only now he was finally getting his life together, seeing Scott jailed, moving to Yabbie Creek, getting the job on the boat. But along the way he'd done something so horrific it haunted his dreams as often as the nightmares of the childhood beatings. He had sworn he'd never hurt anyone the way he'd been hurt, yet on that black day he'd hurt Dani. Didn't matter that at the time he really believed Dani liked him. When he looked back, in a clearer light after the mediation, he realised it was all about power. He could have stopped and he hadn't. His Dad could have stopped and he hadn't. Maybe his Dad would always be inside him no matter how hard he tried to turn himself inside out.

The Sutherlands couldn't hate him as much as he hated himself. Yet it had been Kirsty Sutherland, Dani's sister, who saved him from drowning, who helped him to shore and pulled him from the water. Then, as if immediately regretting what she'd done, she ran wordlessly into the bush.

Kane took a while to recover his breath, coughing and exhausted. He looked around at the empty green landsape. The sun was burning relentlessly and a handful of gossamer clouds floated lazily through the azure sky, but all was silent except for the occasional scurrying of some small creature busy in its own secluded world. Kirsty should have stayed with him and by the water where they could follow the river's path. Together they stood a chance of being rescued. He got shakily to his feet. At school they'd been poles apart and kept their distance. But now they had to stay together if they were to survive. He had to find her.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Rhys emptied the contents of the cardboard box on to the table, choking back tears. There was still no news. The rescue helicopters returned empty each night and each day hope faded a little more.

Dani curiously picked up a pink plastic flower bracelet that fell near her.

Rhys smiled. "You wore it every day when you were four or five. Till we got you the silver bracelet for your birthday."

"Boot!" Jade cried, picking up a sorry-looking toy dog. "Kirsty used to put him in her pillow!"

Dani sifted through a mixture of cards made at kindy, doll's clothes, a music tape in a cracked case, three sets of baby shoes, a couple of kids' books. "You and Mum kept some funny stuff."

"We meant to throw some of it out when we moved from the city, but we couldn't bring ourselves to," Rhys said. "The doll's clothes, Jade, they were from your favourite doll, you passed her on to a friend's little sister. And this was one of your music tapes, Dan. You were always singing along to your tapes - not always in tune. One night we heard you yelling in agony and Shelley ran up to see why. You were playing this tape and singing in your sleep!"

"As if!" Dani slapped his arm, feeling able to laugh for the first time since Mum and Kirsty had been missing. Dad had been right. It was therapeutic, looking through the "Memory Box", made Mum and Kirsty feel closer. Took their minds off the long hours sitting by the phone, waiting.

"This was Grandad's, wasn't it?" Jade said about the gold pocket watch. "Does it still work?"

Rhys shook the timepiece against his ear and it ticked for a few moments, making him smile. Of all the things he'd kept of his father's, it was the watch he treasured most. The steady tick-tock reminded him so much of Dad. As if Bill Sutherland was telling him Shelley and Kirsty would be rescued, reassuring him the last two people from the shipwreck would be found safe and well.

Well, there were three but scum like Kane Phillips didn't count.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Kane," Kirsty said gently. "It's okay. We're on our way to hospital."

He was in and out of consciousness but the paramedics said he could probably still hear. She didn't want him to be scared anymore like he'd been scared of his Dad when he was just a little kid. Kirsty was shocked that anyone could have been through so much. They had bonded, out here in the bush, told each other so much about their lives.

Kane's eyes flickered open briefly. Kirsty wiped away her tears. He couldn't die. This was the guy who had saved her Mum's life, saved Kirsty, been there for her through these lonely days and nights.

She wanted to be with him forever. So much would happen in the next few years but nothing would change that. They were soulmates, destined to be together for all time.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Kirsty leaned her head back against Kane's chest as they sat watching the sea.

"I can't believe it!" Kane said again. His face shone. "Me...us!"

"I guess we have to be responsible adults now." Kirsty tried to be serious, the way she thought responsible adults should be, but Kane looked so ridiculously happy that she couldn't help giggling.

It was so different to the last time she'd told him she was pregnant. The time when it had been a stupid lie from an immature bride desperately trying to keep everyone happy.

They had married again, officially, the following year, and had been married three years now. The whole Sutherland family had been at this wedding, even Dani, though it hadn't been easy for her. It would never be easy for anyone. Like Dani said, just as the physical and emotional scars from Kane's childhood would never leave him, what happened would never go away. What they could both do was try coming to terms with the past.

Kane's only relative at the wedding had been his Aunt Rose, still in a wheelchair after her stroke, and he had fussed round her all day. There were friends of course, Flynn, Sally, Irene, Tasha, Jesse...but it wasn't the same as family.

Kane looked so proud to have someone that Kirsty's heart ached for him. No one mentioned Scott Phillips, who was doing a long stretch in jail, or said they were sorry Kane's parents hadn't lived to see his wedding day. There was no one there to recall what he'd been like as a kid.

Kirsty herself felt like she was tripping up over distant rellies all day, uncles and aunts and cousins and second cousins, faces in photos from other special family gatherings like christenings and anniversaries, each one seeming to want to outdo the other with tales of what little Kirsty had said or done, sometimes making her blush. She wouldn't have been without any of them though. Even four-year-old Emma - her cousin Rachel's youngest - piping up 'When are they going to sell the ice-creams?' when they were about to take their marriage vows only made the day more special. She and Kane had looked at each other, trying so hard not to laugh, and only making each other worse. It was the one of the most perfect days of her life. Like today.

She felt so snug and safe in his arms as she closed her eyes and listened to the gentle rhythm of the sea. Kane had known for a whole twenty-four hours now that he was going to be a Dad. They had visited the nursing home to tell Kane's Aunt Rose this morning and had told Kirsty's family this afternoon. Dani had hugged Kirsty and told Kane congratulations, though her voice was shaky. Her smile had been genuine though.

The years Dani and Kane had spent in counselling had not been wasted, and they were able to talk to each other now, but emotional scars run deep and they still had to take everything one step at a time.

Jade had just been Jade, screaming with delight, crying tears of happiness, suggesting the most unlikely movie star style baby names that she happened to like, ringing all her friends to tell them she was going to be an auntie. Rhys and Shelley had been more serious, but they had been pleased for them. They knew all that Kane and Kirsty had been through together and that it had made their love stronger. There was never a more wanted baby. A kid who would know a childhood so unlike Kane's own.

"A little Kirsty..." Kane said dreamily, wrapping his arms around his wife, kissing the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Or a little Kane..." Kirsty said contentedly, the soft warmth of his breath on her head sending tingles of happiness down her spine. "Imagine..."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The summer day is long gone now, the footprints washed away by the tide, the voices lost on the wind. It is a time before the shipwreck, a time before two kids separate, a time before Dani, a time before so many things.

The sun is not too hot nor the breeze too cold, the warm sand was never more golden, the sea never looked more blue. It is a day when happiness touches even the world-weary and puts the light of a smile in their eyes.

So it was with the beachcomber, digging dirty nails into the sand, muttering a curse when nothing of value is yielded to throw into the bucket.

"Can I help you, kid?" he snarls at last, tossing his long matted hair out of his eyes, his thick eyebrows knitting together as he scowls.

Jade, who's been staring at him for ten minutes or more, doesn't bat an eyelid. She sighs at the plastic bucket and spade that her grandparents have bought for her from the beach shop . "I wish I had a tin bucket!"

The derro looks down in surprise at the unremarkable shiny new tin bucket, meant for household cleaning or garbo, complete with its shiny new lid. It had cost nothing from the large Yabbie Creek store because he'd picked it up from its outside display while passing by yesterday.

Abruptly he smiles, showing yellow, uneven teeth. "Yeh. Yeh, why not? It's yours."

"Cool!" Jade delightedly offers the plastic bucket and spade in return but he shakes his head.

"Nah. Keep both, kid. I was feeling kinda weighed down today anyways." He waves at Bill and Mary Sutherland, who are sitting close by, and strolls on feeling suddenly free.

Bill shrugs to his wife as Jade drags the tin bucket across the sand towards Dani, who's busy scooping up shells with a plastic spade.

"They're hatching something," Mary laughs. "And I'd love to know what those two kindred spirits are talking about as well!" She smiles down towards the water's edge at Kirsty and Kane.

The breeze is cooler close to the water, whipping up their hair and stealing their breath. Kirsty had wanted to go swimming, but Gran and Grandad said she was still too young for the sea.

"But when I grow up I will," Kirsty declares, digging her heels into the soft wet sand. "And I'm gonna do that as well!" she adds, enviously watching the clearer part of the sea where surfers dot the water.

"Listen, Kirst!" Kane says. "You can hear the sea."

"Yeh, I know." Kirsty looks at him, puzzled.

He'd never told, never would dream, of telling anyone else, but Kirsty is different. "No, I mean listen properly. You hear something. Like it's whispering words."

"What's it saying?" Kirsty looks out at the water and back at Kane, suspecting the sea and her bestest mate of being deep in conversation.

"Just words," Kane says. "You have to listen."

Kirsty grows more intrigued. "Ask it if I can have a treasure chest from a pirate ship. And tell it I need a skull and crossbones flag and a sword! Ask it does it mind sharks or does it like them? Ask it what..."

Kane laughs. "It doesn't say all that!"

"What does it say then?" Kirsty demands curiously.

He shrugs. "Different things. Sometimes it sounds like my name. Sometimes it sounds like Summer Bay or Kirsty or Sailing. You have to listen carefully."

So Kirsty closes her eyes tight, screwing up her little face in concentration, listening intently to the rush of the waves, the cries of the gulls, the shouts of the surfers, listening for the secret sound of the sea.

Grandad, can you help?"

Bill has been half dozing while Mary reads her book, both of them glancing up now and again to check on the kids. Jade and Dani had been very industrious with their plastic spades, no doubt building sandcastles. "Sure, pet, no worries."

"Okay, you carry that please," Jade says, indicating the lid-covered tin bucket; "and I'll carry Abby."

Wondering idly what kids' game he's just been roped into, Bill picks up the bucket and nearly topples over with its weight. He quickly set it down again. "Jade! What the blazes is in this bucket?"

"Sand," Jade says calmly.

_"Sand...?"_

"Yeh, we need it carrying to the car. We're taking it home to make a beach in Dani's bedroom."

Dani, who stands nearby, swinging two plastic buckets of coloured shells, sighs patiently. "Don't be silly, sweetie. I TOLD you we can't carry a bucket of sand and shells all the way home to make the beach in the bedroom."

"Dani's right, Jade," Mary adds, pleasantly surprised that one of the grandkids is beginning to think more logically. "You should always listen to your big sister."

"Yeh," Dani says. "We're taking the bucket of sand and shells home to make the beach in the kitchen."

For Kirsty the whispering of the sea is calm, flowing easily, sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight, lapping gently, rhythmically, against the shore. Her serious little face breaks suddenly into a smile and her eyes flash open. "I heard it, Kane, I heard it! It's saying always!"

Kane listens too, closing his eyes in concentration, which makes Kirsty giggle.

He hears a harsher sound, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, struggling to break free, filled with sea monsters and terror. He frowns, the nightmares haunting his eyes.

"I think it's saying river," he decides at last.

"No, no, listen again," Kirsty says.

"Ssshhh, I am."

She touches his arm very, very lightly, dancing her fingers. "Don't move, Kane, you got a spider on you!"

"Ssshhh," he says again, his lips twitching.

She delicately crawls her fingers up his arm towards his neck.

He grins but keeps his eyes closed, concentrating. "Nah, wait, it's not river. It's a longer word. It's ...uh...yeh, it is...it's saying forever!"

"No way! It's saying always! _Always, always, always!" _she smiles her magic smile as he opens his eyes. They are blue, blue as the sea that crashes on the distant rocks till a quieter whisper comes to calm the waves, in this time before the shipwreck, before Dani, this simple time.

"It's saying always," she says, too young to know how true her words will be. "Always, always, always...

..._AND_ forever!"


End file.
